Affordable Aviation: Reducing Air Travel Costs
It's not just Ryanair lessening its flights in Germany; Eurowings is doing the same, mentioning excessive costs that make flights unprofitable as the reason. As reported in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Jens Bischof, the president of the German Aviation Association (BDL) and CEO of Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings, voiced his expectations for politicians. He suggested abolishing the aviation tax, as Sweden is currently doing, to keep flying affordable. This demand was echoed by Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson earlier.
In response to financial stress, both Eurowings and Ryanair have announced plans to decrease their flight services in Germany for the upcoming year. Eurowings is also considering potential job cuts at German airports, with the intention of expanding its flight offerings in other EU countries, in Bischof's words.
"Profound effect on demand"
The German aviation industry is recovering more sluggishly from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other European countries due to financial burdens. Bischof expressed his hope for immediate government intervention. "Further financial increases will have a profound effect on demand," he said. "Flights will become less crowded and no longer profitable." The ceiling on security fees also needs to be lowered.
The primary concerns lie in the 25% rise in aviation tax (ranging from 15.53 to 70.83 euros depending on distance), air traffic control fees, and the aforementioned air security fee, which is charged for airport passenger and hand luggage screenings. The aviation tax was initially implemented in Germany as a climate protection measure. However, the government also sought to compensate budget deficits with the increased funds.
In summary, aviation contributes to about 2.5% of global emissions. Flying, shockingly, is the most damaging form of travel in terms of climate impact. A single round trip to the Canary Islands is estimated to emit around 1.9 tons of CO2 equivalents per person, surpassing the annual emissions of an average car, bus, and train user (around 1.5 tons of CO2 equivalents).
Following the financial strain, Eurowings, like Ryanair, has proposed reducing its flights in Germany for the upcoming year. Bischof, the president of the German Aviation Association and Eurowings CEO, emphasized that increased aviation taxes could have a profound effect on demand, potentially leading to less profitable flights and decreased passenger numbers.
