Lufthansa wants to delay emissions-trading after ash-cloud chaos

May 29, 2010, 14:01 GMT

Berlin - Europe's largest airline, Lufthansa, wants to delay the start of the introduction of emissions-trading rules for the industry because of the costs incurred after the Icelandic ash-cloud.

Lufthansa Chief Executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber told Die Welt newspaper in an interview to be published Sunday that the airline industry should not be expected to carry both costs alone.

From January 1, 2012, airlines in Europe are due to be included in the bloc's emissions trading scheme, which requires emitters of carbon dioxide to buy permits for the right to pollute.

A start delay would 'not cost the treasuries a single euro, and would greatly help us in this very difficult financial situation,' Mayrhuber said.

The ash-cloud that spread over Europe from an Icelandic volcano during April caused the cancellation of thousands of flights, and led to an 11.7 per cent drop in passenger numbers for the month, according to figures released by global air travel association IATA.

Mayrhuber claimed that the European Commission had an obligation to assist airlines in this way, as carriers incurred massive costs in assisting travellers through the ash cloud crisis.

The EU regulations on passenger assistance 'were surely not made to make airlines pay for an act of God,' Mayrhuber said.

'We could do nothing to prevent or reduce these costs,' he said.

'Lufthansa and the other airlines nevertheless have served their passengers well, and therefore we require compensation.'

The CEO said that the emissions trading scheme would cost airlines 30 to 40 million euros per year because they would be obliged to buy carbon certificates for flights above their allotted quota.