HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - The German government sees Germany as a pioneer in the goal of climate-neutral flying in just a few years. Speaking at the National Aviation Conference in Hamburg on Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said the aviation industry would undergo a very fundamental transformation. "Our major goal is clear: We want to become climate-neutral by 2045, while remaining a successful industrialized country with further growth opportunities." Aviation is responsible for just under 3 percent of global CO2 emissions, he said. "It is clear that this should become even less." When it comes to climate-friendly technologies, the German aviation industry is already a world leader, he said.

Scholz went on to say that climate-neutral flying should not be at the expense of European and German airports and airlines. The Chancellor went on to say that hydrogen propulsion would certainly be possible in series-produced aircraft in the future. To this end, he said, the German government wants to move ahead with the development of the hydrogen infrastructure. He said he was convinced that Germany had a "very good future" as an aviation location.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, referring to difficult years in the Corona pandemic, said, "Aviation is back." Regarding Lufthansa, he said, "We're doing great." The German government had rescued the company with support measures during the pandemic. Spohr went on to say that when it came to climate protection, there should be no unilateral action in Europe; global solutions were needed. Synthetic fuels currently account for 0.2 percent of Lufthansa's fuel consumption.

Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) said: "No one is helped if we slow down our domestic aviation and foreign providers who are less sustainability-oriented fill the gap. That's why we support our aviation companies and airports in becoming pioneers in reducing greenhouse gases." He said the federal government is calling for innovation and research and ensuring a fair playing field in aviation./klm/DP/men