|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Things could soon become quieter in the skies above Germany. Following Ryanair, Eurowings – Germany's second-largest airline – has also announced that it will be thinning out its local route network from 2025. Ryanair plans to stop flying to Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig airports altogether and cancel 60% of its flights to and from Hamburg. A total of 1.8 million seats are expected to be affected. Eurowings is now cancelling 1,000 flights to and from Hamburg „as a first step“, including the route to Cologne/Bonn, which is popular with business customers.
Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof commented on this to the BILD newspaper: „This development could have been avoided. But the airport's plans for a completely disproportionate increase in fees leave us no choice. It is very regrettable that no viable solutions have been offered here. The ones who will suffer now are holidaymakers and business travellers from the region.“
Eurowings intends to review further routes. Location costs at German airports are simply too high compared to other European countries. Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson agrees: taxes and airport charges in Germany are the highest in Europe, making many routes unprofitable for airlines. Back in August, Ryanair announced its intention to cancel 20 of its Berlin flights from 2025 onwards.
The spokesperson for the German Airports Association (ADV) has identified those responsible for the cost dilemma: „Government levies are beyond the control of airports. These include: aviation security charges, air traffic control charges and air traffic tax. Aviation security charges will increase by up to 50% on 1 January compared to 2024. Air traffic tax in particular rose by 25% in May 2024.“
It is important to note that the coronavirus crisis, which forced virtually all aircraft to remain grounded, has not yet been overcome. Current flight volumes are currently at around 82% of pre-coronavirus levels. Many more aircraft will now never take off again.
Is that the plan for how Germany is to achieve its ambitious climate targets? No flights – no greenhouse gases. Just like in the early 19th century. Flying is simply prevented by astronomical fees. The airlines will realise for themselves that flying is no longer desirable.
And driving? There is simply no money available to renovate the approximately 4,000 dilapidated motorway bridges. Was the Carola Bridge in Dresden just a taste of things to come? It wasn't a motorway bridge, but the images of the collapsed bridge sections in the River Elbe remain etched in our minds. What if a motorway bridge were to collapse? Will motorists then realise on their own that private transport is no longer wanted in Germany? Except for electric cars, of course! But don't they also have to cross bridges? Will electric car satnavs perhaps get a bridge warning update?
There's no need to worry about the train anyway. It won't arrive at all, or it will arrive much later. That's just how it is in the age of estimated timetables.
Let's all just stay at home! Let's calmly devote ourselves to gently preparing our vegetable patties and avocado quinoa bowls. Fewer and fewer people are eating meat anyway. This also solves other problems along the way. Fewer and fewer cows – fewer and fewer clouds of methane wafting over the lush, green flower meadows! These are no longer being grazed to death and are producing a wonderful display of flowers for millions upon millions of pollinators. And just like that, Germany has come a significant step closer to climate neutrality. The country in which we live well and happily – just like our great-great-grandparents. *End of satire*
Further sources:
