Short domestic flights should be stopped from 2030, according to Green Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler. Airport operators obviously have little interest in this project. A new study should now show that stopping such flights has no positive impact on the climate.
It will take at least another seven years before the Semmering railway tunnel opens. However, the short flights between Graz and Vienna should then be stopped – this is the wish of Climate Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). The end of such domestic flights was a condition of the AUA airline’s bailout package at the start of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Research sees no positive climate effect
Even then, there was great outrage among representatives of the Styrian economy and the airport. An investigation (conducted by Höffinger Solutions) will now be followed up. It was investigated whether the loss of the flight connection between Salzburg and Vienna had had a positive effect on the climate.
As a result, these expectations were not fulfilled. Most passengers would now drive to Munich in a private car or fly from Salzburg to another connecting airport. Emissions would only shift.
Passengers simply get out of the way
Wolfgang Grimus, director of Thalerhof Airport, fears a similar effect for Graz. “98 percent of passengers to Vienna are transfer passengers. “They will either transfer to other hubs such as Frankfurt, Munich or Amsterdam, or fly direct from alternative airports such as Laibach,” he says.
The then faster rail route is apparently not considered an attractive alternative by representatives of the aviation industry. They believe: “You can’t fly less.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
