There is further resistance to the plans of Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) to save the airports, which were underutilized during the Corona crisis, from bankruptcy with additional tax money in the billions. After the traffic club VCD and opposition politicians had already drawn attention to the fact that aid should only flow if climate requirements are also met , the environmental protection organization Germanwatch also criticizes the call for further help for the aviation industry.

Unprofitable regional airports “Subsidies for airports equate to investments in the climate crisis and are economic nonsense,” said spokeswoman Lena Donat of the dpa before the federal government’s air traffic summit this Friday. The taxpayers’ association has long been warning of the ongoing waste of tax money through the rescue of unprofitable regional airports, which could be supported again with the aid funds: “The deficits of these airports are high overall, the business prospects of many locations are bad. And an EU will end in four years Subsidy period. ”

It is precisely these subsidized airports that are a symbol for low-cost airlines and thus an outdated idea of ​​mobility, explained Donat. In addition, flying is fueling massive global warming, she denounced to the dpa. “In view of the climate crisis, we cannot afford to fly to Corona as much as before.” It is a misconception that all these flights could become climate neutral through technological solutions.

Transfer and support In her opinion, taxpayers’ money should be invested more sustainably, for example in buses and trains as well as Europe-wide rail traffic. “The motto must be: train instead of flight”. The diversion should, however, be accompanied by transitional support for the employees.

The fact that Germany has some catching up to do is shown, among other things, by the balance of night train services. Here, Deutsche Bahn now has to rely on offers from abroad – such as the night trains from the Austrian Federal Railways, to which Deutsche Bahn sold part of its fleet around four years ago. At this time, Deutsche Bahn withdrew from the night train business.

Donat also drew attention to another reason that could depress the earlier flight numbers. Many people had learned, albeit involuntarily, during the coronavirus crisis how to avoid unnecessary flights – for example in the professional area through video conferences.

Call for help Transport Minister Scheuer is aiming for a rescue package of around one billion euros for the airports in this country. The aviation industry had also asked for more billion euros in aid from the federal government this week. After the airlines, the airports and the federally owned German air traffic control would now have to be refurbished with taxpayers’ money, demand representatives of industry associations.

According to the dpa, the Airport Association ADV (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Verkehrsflughäfen) has appealed against demands to close individual unprofitable regional airports.

) ADV General Manager Ralph Beisel also stated that in the first lockdown, at the request of the federal and state governments, all locations would have maintained operations to secure supplies or for ambulance services. “If the airports now demand non-repayable subsidies for the costs of operational readiness, that is only more than fair,” said Beisel. For the first four months of the lockdown from March to June 740 the holding costs should be 740 million euros. [/update]

(kbe)