Airlines for Europe Aviation Summit: Post-Covid recovery, decarbonisation Continued from page 48
transactions by 40% but did not admit overcharging. Robinson said: “No one has followed up on that.” He added: “While everyone
has focused on consumer cards, Visa and Mastercard have doubled down on corporate cards. No one has brought a UK economy-wide case against Visa and Mastercard.” Claimants will be
represented by two claims companies – one for businesses with £100 million-plus turnover, which need to register their interest, and the other for smaller businesses, which will be represented automatically. Travel industry non-
executive director Steve Allen, former managing director of Wexas Travel and ex-chief executive of Portman Travel, is a director of both claims companies. He said: “I’ve been in travel all my working life. We all operate on thin margins. These fees are a significant chunk of profit. For me, it’s important to help the industry at a time when it has been bashed over the head by Covid.” Robinson said: “This is
funded by a third party, [legal finance experts] Bench Walk Advisors. It’s no risk, no fee. The claim is for all sectors of the economy. But for travel and hospitality alone it will be worth £1.5 billion.” The claim will mark the
latest in a series against Visa and Mastercard, stemming from a 2007 EC ruling, upheld by the European Court of Justice, that interchange fees on card payments breached competition law. For more information, visit
Commercialcardclaim.co.uk.
Governments urged to aid production of sustainable fuels
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) “aren’t going to deliver” the cuts in aviation emissions needed by 2030, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has warned. SAFs are touted to make a
major contribution to reducing flight emissions in advance of new technology developments such as green hydrogen fuel. But Europe’s airline chiefs argue there is simply too little SAF and want governments
to incentivise its production. Luis Gallego, chief executive of
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG, said: “Policy support is critical to develop SAF plants. We have less than 1% of what we need. This is not a problem of airlines’, it’s a problem of governments’. Our aircraft today could fly with 50% SAF, but there is no SAF. We’re asking for investment, for policies.” Lufthansa Group chief executive
Carsten Spohr insisted: “There is not enough SAF in Europe . . . or anywhere. If Lufthansa could access all the SAF in the world we could not even fly for four days.” He pointed out: “Biofuels
cost four to five times more than
Luis Gallego
kerosene and SAF can cost eight to 10 times more.” O’Leary insisted: “We’re all
committed to SAFs, but they’re not going to deliver the level of emissions cuts we need in the next five to 10 years. For the foreseeable future, SAFs are not going to account for a lot of fuel.”
Carbon goals ‘pose threat to aviation’s affordability’
Pressure on airlines to decarbonise must “not damage our industry”, Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr told European policymakers in Brussels as Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary claimed EU emissions-reduction plans “may have to be pushed back”. Speaking at an Airlines for Europe
(A4E) summit last week, Spohr said: “We all believe Europe can serve as a model [for decarbonisation] with its Fit for 55 programme.” But he added: “There is a huge ‘but’. To do it in balance is key, reducing the impact on the environment while maintaining connectivity, maintaining jobs [and] maintaining our competitiveness with the rest of the world.” He insisted: “The cost of travel
has to remain affordable. Whatever we do must not damage our industry so that we no longer connect ourselves and others do it.” The EU set a target of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% of 1990 levels by 2030 in a ‘Fit
46 7 APRIL 2022
Carsten Spohr
Shipping is probably doing less to reduce emissions, and if you look at who makes the greatest profits now, it’s shipping. The CO2 impact of this industry is coming down per passenger because of the industry’s efforts. Thousands of engineers are working to find solutions.” Luis Gallego, chief executive of
for 55’ package of proposals adopted in July 2021. These include phasing out free allowances for carriers in the EU Emissions Trading System and requiring fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) in jet fuel at EU airports, including synthetic low-carbon fuels (e-fuels). Spohr suggested aviation suffers
“visibility out of proportion” to its impact on global warming, arguing: “Shipping has more or less the same emissions and no one talks about it.
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG, agreed saying: “We have a focus on airlines, but airlines are doing everything. We are investing in new aircraft. We are saying ‘yes’ to emissions trading, we are saying ‘yes’ to sustainable aviation fuels, though we don’t have SAF.” O’Leary said: “Ryanair is investing
€20 billion in new technology. As an industry we’re making huge investments to fly more sustainably.” But he added: “We face a
cost challenge. Some of the implementation of Fit for 55 may have to be pushed back a few years. I don’t think some of our customers are going to be able to pay fuel taxes.”
travelweekly.co.uk
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