Empty skies, empty flights
While David Cameron launched a consultation on how to use environmental taxes to reduce the rapid growth in carbon emissions from aviation, and highlighting the idea of a new green air miles allowance for every passenger, the British Mediterranean Airways (BMed) seems to be taking the whole prospect of Global Warming with a pinch of salt. They are running a plane back and forth to London, six times a week, from Cardiff with no passengers!!!
That means that more than five tonnes of C02 has been pumped into the atmosphere on each 140-mile journey, it really is shameful but under the current laws makes economic sense. Carbon emissions from aircraft are taxed less than virtually any other form of carbon, yet because they are released high into the atmosphere, they can do most damage.
But why would an airline be prepared to run hundreds of flights at a loss?
Industry experts said the incident was rare but illustrative of an airline protecting its highly sought-after landing slots at Heathrow, which have been known to fetch up to £10m each. It disputes reports that the empty flights have cost it £2m, but acknowledges a business motive lay behind the decision.
The Conservative Party “Greener Skies” consultation sets out credible proposals for curbing the future growth of emissions from air transport. Our consultation shows how this can be done in a way that does not tax people out of one foreign holiday a year but instead focuses on dirtier aircraft and more frequent fliers. It is important that people understand that for each additional pound raised in aviation tax, there will be a matched reduction in family taxes so the overall tax burden will not rise. With our principle of pay as you burn, not pay as you earn, we are proving we are prepared to take tough and long term decisions for a strong stable economy and a cleaner environment. It would ruin the “economic argument” for running empty flights!!! Whatever happens in the medium term the running of the empty flights to safeguard landing and take-off rights is crazy through and through and should be stopped forthwith.
