Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr took aim at Deutsche Bahn at a forum on the networking of the various modes of transport. Munich Airport, for example, is still not connected to the DB long-distance network, he criticized at the IAA Mobility car and transport trade fair in Munich.
Travelers did not want to change their suitcases unnecessarily often and chose more convenient alternatives where possible. The necessary infrastructure is also needed to link different modes of transport.
The railway infrastructure has been destroyed
Deutsche Bahn board member Michael Peterson admitted that given the growing demand, the railway was overloaded and there were too many disruptions. “We have invested too little in infrastructure for decades.” He welcomes all the more that the federal government is now providing a lot of money for it: After the gradual renewal of the network, the railway will have a much better infrastructure in ten years.
Lufthansa boss Spohr said: “Our biggest customer is the automotive industry.” The industry accounts for ten percent of freight volume and one percent of passengers. Nevertheless, he is calling on the auto industry not to deny airlines the scarce synthetic fuels, e-fuels, that they need for more climate-friendly air traffic.
Demands for cheap energy
The President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), Hildegard Müller, defended her call for e-fuels with a view to the countless petrol and diesel cars on the road. With e-fuels, they could drive cleaner immediately.
Shortly before the official opening of the IAA by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), she once again made her concern about an exodus of industry clear: “We want to invest here. But the conditions have to be right for this to happen,” said Müller. “That is our message to the government.” The USA lured people with a huge investment program, China supported its car industry to the best of its ability, and Germany had very expensive electricity. “We need cheaper energy.”
