Environment
Greens are calling for higher fees for private jet flights
Stefan Gelbhaar (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) considers a ban on short private flights to be legally difficult. photo
© Annette Riedl/dpa
Hamburg – Sylt and Berlin – Munich – these are frequently flown routes by private airlines in Germany. On the ground, the routes could be covered less harmful to the climate.
The Greens in the Bundestag are calling for higher costs for flights with private jets. “Private jet flights are also paid for by the general public – through the shared infrastructure and above all through the damage to health, climate and the environment,” said traffic policy spokesman Stefan Gelbhaar of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” according to the advance report. These burdens must be minimized and could be offset by higher airport fees, for example.
For the remaining flights, private jet users should strive to stock up on more sustainable fuel, the MP said. “They have the financial resources to finally launch initiatives for e-fuels production.”
Air traffic control recorded a record number of 94,000 private flights taking off in Germany last year. Around ten million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) were released in the process. Almost three quarters of the flights started in Germany were shorter than 500 kilometers. Frequently flown routes were therefore Hamburg – Sylt or Berlin – Munich. For longer flights, the most common destination by far was Mallorca.
Germany: Country with the third most private flights in Europe
Smaller private jet operators are exempt from European emissions trading, which is actually mandatory for airlines. According to an analysis commissioned by the environmental organization Greenpeace, Germany is the country with the third most private flights in Europe.
At the European level, Austria, France and the Netherlands are calling for stricter rules for private jets. These emitted an excessive amount of climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) per capita and were therefore rightly criticized, according to a letter from the ministries for the environment, transport and infrastructure of the three countries to the EU Commission a few days ago. Austria’s Green Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler spoke of a “hobby of the super rich”. The consequences of “luxury travel” are deceptive.
The Green politician, Gelbhaar, considers a ban on short private flights to be legally difficult. The Federal Ministry of Transport emphasized in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” that it wanted to make Germany a pioneer in CO2-neutral flying. This would make considerations for a ban superfluous.