Aviation on EU climate plan: warning of “dangerous imbalance”

Air traffic and CO2 emissions would only be shifted by the EU climate plan “Fit for 55”, warn the airports in Frankfurt and Munich as well as Lufthansa. Together they now demanded changes to the plans.

You yourself speak of a “message to wake you up”. It’s about the future of aviation. The focus of the criticism: the climate protection plan “Fit for 55”. The EU Commission wants to reduce climate-damaging emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. But the German aviation industry is critical of the previous plans.

That’s why Lufthansa and the two major German aviation hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, are now pulling together – a trio that isn’t every day. But the joint appearance also reveals that the aviation industry has a new key topic. So far, your arguments have not gotten through to everyone in the political talks in Berlin and especially in Brussels. Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr warns of a “dangerous imbalance” for European network airlines and hubs.

Relocation warning

A “relocation of emissions is mapped out,” complains Spohr. “It cannot be in the interest of Europe and the EU to put European aviation at a disadvantage and weaken it in international competition with ‘Fit for 55’. With the measures now planned, CO2 emissions from air traffic would shift and not be reduced,” he said Spohr. Europe would become more dependent on third countries in terms of transport policy. “That can’t be politically desirable,” says Spohr.

“We are absolutely in agreement in the industry,” asserts Fraport boss Stefan Schulte. “We need more effort and speed in climate protection. It’s not a question of ‘if’, but of ‘how’ ambitious climate policy,” he says. “But we want to avoid the risk of carbon leakage and distortions of competition – in other words, we want to take effective measures to protect the climate and maintain connectivity and employment in Europe.”

For the industry, “carbon leakage” is the CO2 leak in the climate package. Because if “Fit for 55” were implemented unchanged, some of the emissions would not be avoided, but simply outsourced. Because for air travel to Asia and Africa it would be sufficient to plan a changeover outside the EU, i.e. in Istanbul or in Doha. In this way, passengers could easily avoid additional costs for European climate taxes. “If Europe is soon flown around for cost reasons, then that won’t save a gram of CO2,” warns Lufthansa CEO Spohr.

Industry calls for “competitive neutrality”

The airline-airport alliance is therefore pushing for “competitive neutrality.” European airlines should not be worse off than their competitors. However, if the “Fit for 55” program were implemented as planned, the consequences would be far-reaching. The industry assumes that by 2035 almost 120 million passengers would no longer be transferring to European hubs. That will also endanger jobs: According to Schulte, up to 260,000 jobs are at stake in the entire industry.

The airport manager from Munich, Jost Lammers, assumes that “Fit for 55” in its current form at the hub in southern Germany will mean “that we lose 25 percent of long-haul routes”. Lammers is certain: “A kerosene tax as a levy alone does not save a gram of CO2, but emissions trading and the SAF quota – implemented correctly – are effective instruments for the desired decarbonization of air traffic.” SAF means sustainably produced kerosene (“Sustainable Aviation Fuels”), which is mixed with aviation fuel.