Aviation
Vestager hails KLM’s ‘very good’ €3.4bn bailout
The European Commission has approved the Dutch government’s €3.4 billion support package for national airline KLM, despite criticism levelled at conditions linked to pay cuts.
Air France’s promise to nix domestic flights: Not good enough for the environment
Air France's pledge to end some of its domestic flights in return for billions of euros in government aid is a weak contribution to climate action, as weak railway infrastructure stands in the way of a plane-to-train shift. EURACTIV France reports.
Airbus ponders hydrogen’s flying future
European aerospace giant Airbus sees hydrogen power as “one of the most promising technologies available” to decarbonise air travel and is looking to utilise it as part of plans to roll out a zero-emission aircraft by 2035.
Dutch sign Eurostar treaty, reducing London journey time
The governments of the Netherlands, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom signed on Tuesday (7 July) an updated version of the Eurostar treaty, which will streamline border checks and shave a full hour off the Amsterdam-London journey time.
Commission chews over changes to aviation emissions rules
The European Commission revealed on Friday (3 July) details about how it plans to adapt climate policy to the aviation sector, by integrating a global offsetting scheme into EU rules and slashing free pollution permits.
Austria’s trains take over short-haul flight route
Austrian Airlines will cease operating its Vienna-Salzburg route, the flag-carrier announced on Thursday (2 July). Instead, the service will be replaced by more direct trains, in an effort to honour the terms of the government's recent bailout deal.
Germany urges ‘no favours’ in Airbus job cuts
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier on Wednesday (1 July) urged plane builder Airbus to spread the pain fairly as it cuts 15,000 jobs to deal with lower orders following the coronavirus pandemic.
Airlines granted huge emissions reprieve by UN compromise
The UN’s aviation emissions offsetting scheme will not take 2020 into account when calculating how much airlines have to pay to neutralise their carbon dioxide output. Environmental groups have derided the decision for “making a mockery” of climate policy.
Coronavirus prompts airline nationalisation spree
Portugal and Italy are both flirting with bringing their flag-carrying airlines under state-ownership to combat the economic hardships caused or exacerbated by the global pandemic.
EU bans two Pakistani airlines in wake of licence scandal
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) banned Pakistan’s national airline from operating in EU airspace on Tuesday (30 June), after an inquest found that up to a third of Pakistani pilots may have acquired their licences illegally.
From Brussels to Malaga: traveling in times of pandemic
As the summer kicks in and EU countries have been easing travel restriction, I decided to experience what it is like to travel during a pandemic by flying from Brussels to Malaga (Spain).
Dutch government unveils KLM rescue plan
The Netherlands' national airline, KLM, is set for a €3.4 billion bailout package should it meet certain employment, financial and sustainability targets, the Dutch government announced on Friday (26 June). It still requires regulatory approval from Brussels.
Lufthansa’s €9bn mega-bailout cleared for takeoff
Lufthansa shareholders and the European Commission both approved Berlin’s €9 billion rescue package on Thursday (25 June), as the German airline continues to struggle to ride out the economic slump caused by the coronavirus.
Largest electric plane in Europe takes to the skies over the UK
A six-seater battery-powered aircraft flew for the first time over the UK on Monday (22 June), becoming Europe’s largest e-plane in the process just as the aviation industry revealed that it wants the EU to invest big in the future of flight innovation.
Lufthansa, Berlin in eleventh hour bailout rescue attempt
The German government leapt into action Monday (22 June) to rescue a proposed €9 billion coronavirus bailout for Lufthansa that has run into resistance from a billionaire shareholder.
‘Ghost flights’ issue returns to haunt airports and airlines
Airport and airline operators are already locked in a spat about whether a rules waiver granted by the EU back in March should be extended, although a decision is not due until mid-September.
Taxing jet-fuel still on the radar, despite aviation’s virus woes
Kerosene’s plum position as one of the few fuels exempt from taxation is still under severe scrutiny, as momentum builds behind the idea of setting up multilateral agreements between willing countries.
Dutch do Danish deal to hit clean power target
The Netherlands agreed on Friday (19 June) to pay Denmark €100 million as part of an arrangement that will allow the Dutch government to declare at least 8 TWh of Danish surplus renewable power on its books, in an effort to meet its EU target.
French village bids au revoir to final A380 super-jumbo
The last convoy of outsize parts for the world’s largest airliner crawled towards an assembly plant in southwest France late Wednesday (17 June), applauded by residents and production workers as Airbus prepares to build the last A380.
EasyJet pushes new aircraft orders back to 2025
British airline EasyJet said it had pushed back the delivery of 24 aircraft to between 2025 and 2027 and secured additional flexibility on orders from planemaker Airbus as part of its planning for a smaller travel market.
‘Brussels has everything needed’ to be Europe’s night-train hub, say rail advocates
Belgium's capital has all the attributes needed to establish itself as Europe's hub for night-trains, according to a group in favour of resurrecting the services, which also sees the coronavirus crisis and the EU Green Deal as opportunities for rail's most romantic of journeys.
Electric plane certified by EU regulator in world-first
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted this week an electric aircraft worldwide certification to operate, in what the regulator hailed as a massive step forward in battery-powered flight.
Virus-hit Lufthansa to haemorrhage 22,000 jobs
German airline Lufthansa said Thursday (11 June) that it would have to slash 22,000 full-time jobs as it predicts a muted recovery in demand for travel following the coronavirus pandemic.