From Cologne to Berlin – such a domestic flight may seem like a foreign body when it comes to climate protection.

Stephan Erler, Germany boss of the low-cost airline Easyjet, sees it differently.

He's reconnected with the winter plan.

"At the beginning of the corona pandemic, we decided to take a break from domestic German traffic.

That's over," he says in an interview with the FAZ. "For the rest, it makes no difference to us whether a flight is within Germany or within Europe, i.e. whether it crosses national borders.

We look at whether a connection can be profitable for us and therefore also be well utilized.”

Timo Kotowski

Editor in Business.

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Less emptiness, more people for a good flight.

Low-cost airlines have long argued that some scheduled airlines often operate flights with seats that are only 70 to 80 percent occupied.

Easyjet is aiming for a load factor of more than 90 percent – ​​if the corona pandemic is not dampening demand.

This should serve the economy – and the climate.

"Basically, Easyjet supports the EU strategy Fit for 55," says Erler.

“But there is still room for discussion on the details,” he adds.

"This includes the question of whether a kerosene tax should just be another tax increase for aviation or how it can create incentives for investments towards lower emissions." Not every flight manager would put it that way.

German airlines favor ticket tax

German airlines reject an EU kerosene tax that does not apply all over the world. It would put your own direct long-distance flights at a disadvantage compared to connections from other airlines with transfers outside the EU. Instead, the long-criticized air traffic tax is now being approved. Because the amount depends on the last destination, no matter how often you change. But Easyjet manager Erler has objections: “The German air traffic tax does not provide an incentive for airlines to always have full planes. The tax is levied per ticket sold, regardless of the occupancy of the aircraft.”

A yes to climate protection can now be heard everywhere in aviation, but the industry is divided on the right path.

"We are aware of the climate impacts associated with flights," says Erler.

"Easyjet was the first company in aviation to introduce compensation for all customers." 

This has been the case since 2019, the cooperation with the organization First Climate brought praise, but also ridicule.

Because the climate contribution included in the ticket price seemed puny.

"We didn't just want to make a voluntary offer, we wanted to make a compensation contribution for all customers," says Erler.

Plea for mandatory compensation

First Climate Managing Director Urs Brodmann defends the calculation.

"It's wrong to assume that something that's inexpensive can't be good," he says.

“If an airline offsets all climate effects, it can take advantage of a wholesaler.

If an airline only compensates when the customer expressly requests it, it is in the retail sector and cannot use certain economies of scale.”

The inclusive compensation is also the right way for another reason.

“We have long seen airlines leave the compensation decision up to customers.

The result has always been very low rates of passengers who choose to do so.”