the Minister of Ecology hopes for “profound changes in engines and fuels”

“A world without aviation would not make sense”said Monday, June 19 on franceinfo the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu, “but staying with the status quo wouldn’t make sense either”. During the opening of the Paris Air Show, “totally focused on climate issues” this year, it calls for “profound changes in the weight of aircraft, engines and fuels”. However, if Emmanuel Macron announced an envelope of 200 million euros to finance research on sustainable fuels, the minister warns “public money is not intended to finance air travel”.

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“Research and innovation must be accompanied by a little public money, but then it will be up to those who take the plane to pay, to those who have activities harmful to the climate to contribute to financing the restoration necessary”explains Christophe Béchu while the price of plane tickets has increased by 20% in one year.“Today, we have objectives both at the European level and at the global level for the incorporation of 6% of sustainable fuel in kerosene by the end of this decade, but with the challenge of exceeding 50% in the 2050s”.

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“Today, we can clearly see that there are more and more people who are looking for alternatives or even who refuse to take a plane”recognizes the Minister of Ecological Transition. “But even if these behaviors have already changed, the tendency to want to travel will still lead to an increase in traffic.” This is why Christophe Béchu also wants the aviation industry to work on engines that consume less fuel. “It’s even more important to have a decarbonization strategy for us, French and Europeans, who produce half of the planes on the planet.”