It will be without us… This is essentially the message sent by the French airlines about the financing of the very ambitious railway program of 100,000 million euros for 2040 announced by Elisabeth Borne on February 24.
For Scara, the Union of Autonomous Airlines (which brings together half of the French airlines), “increasingly taxing air transport increasingly reduces their ability to finance solutions to achieve their environmental objectives: sustainable fuels (bio and synthetic ), CO2 compensation, technological progress, etc”.
It should be remembered that this plan will not be fully financed by the State, which should put 20,000 million euros (or even a little more) in the pot through the Public Finance Programming Law. Europe, the regions, but also air transport and motorway companies will also participate.
“Unrelenting Stigma”
“It is normal for companies that have comfortable margins and are in good health – I am thinking of the motorway companies – to contribute to the financing. Our network is well built. Perhaps we can finance, through tolls or through contributions, the train or less pollutants. This is a debate that we will have for the summer”, declared Clément Beaune, Delegate Minister of Transport.
The union recalls that the sector already finances road, rail, river and port infrastructure worth 200 million euros per year through the eco-contribution implemented in 2020, a tax on plane tickets (known as the “Chirac tax”).
The airline “rejects the idea of taxing again to finance the rail transport development plan. The additional tax would be an anti-ecological tax and a negative message sent to the entire French aviation industry.”
The Scara “deplores that air transport is subject to incessant stigma despite the fact that it is one of the most voluntary modes of transport in its decarbonisation commitments”.
The financing method of this plan of 100,000 million will be detailed “by the summer”, specified Clément Beaune.
Source: BFM TV
