The number of flight passengers and in particular the airborne freight tonnage has undergone a considerable decline. One of the reasons for this is the “World Economical Crisis”. “Our Lufthansa”, too, has to put planes on standby.
Now there is a new threat on the horizon for the airborne freight and its airlines: due to the “Mexican Pig Influenza”, another decline of passengers must be expected.
And people already start talking about a crisis for airlines and here and there calling for federal support.
Is this what we have come to? If there is a positive side to the current development (and perhaps there are quite a few positive sides to it), then maybe the fact that people fly less is it. Even if – according to yesterday’s press release – entire nations such as Australia seem to have forgotten about it entirely, we should not discard the climate goals that have been commonly agreed to.
And without reducing air traffic considerably, we will not even have a chance of coming close to achieving these goals. That is why we should not let the hard-won climate goals fall victim to the world economical crisis.
Thus, the decline of air freight is first and foremost a logical development. We, however, lament and – which is worse – insist on further infrastructural projects for air traffic. For instance, building the runway at Munich Airport is still on the agenda. This means that – against better judgement – the gigantic abuse of scenery by road-building continues also in Bavaria.
Isn’t that a pity? Where has the much-praised mental reform process gone?
RMD
(translated by EG)