Frankfurt (dpa) - The head of German airline Lufthansa, Carsten Spohr, said the aviation industry needs to slow down its growth and stop pushing forward with fare wars, and instead invest in more efficient and better quality air travel.
Speaking in Frankfurt late Monday, Spohr criticized the "unique fare war" that was waged on the Austrian and German market for short distance flights this summer, without explicitly naming competitor Ryanair, which is known for its extremely low fares.
"Five-euro (5.5-dollar) tickets don't only clog up the system, they also make us more vulnerable to criticism - and the many sustainable things we do as an industry are put into question," he said.
Spohr said Lufthansa stood by its responsibility as regards climate change and that it was constantly investing in newer, more efficient aircraft.
The airline chief also said long-distance flights would continue to be powered by fossil fuels in the future, but that jet fuel could be created synthetically if a climate-neutral primary energy source was available.
Spohr said the aviation tax paid by airlines and airports should be used to conduct research that would benefit the industry.
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