“Action Needed”
Kerosene crisis could now make summer vacations more expensive
As fuel prices rise, so do political concerns about the European economy. After gas stations, airports could soon face shortages. Lower Austria’s SPÖ leader Sven Hergovich is calling on ÖVP Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer to prepare a crisis response mechanism.
It was none other than German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who—as reported—warned of economic consequences similar to those of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the effects of the Iran war. And it was Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr and Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary who, following Merz’s statements, painted a picture of what all this might entail.
1.5 billion euros in additional costs
Spohr announced, for example, that his group—whose subsidiary is Austrian Airlines (AUA)—could face additional fuel costs of up to 1.5 billion euros. The result: If the situation in Iran does not improve, higher ticket prices and reduced air traffic are likely. Up to 40 jets would then be grounded—which is likely to have massive consequences for the airport. A kerosene crisis that won’t leave the low-cost carrier Ryanair unscathed either.
Hergovich addresses Hattmannsdorf
O’Leary has signaled higher ticket prices from April through June. A “supply shock” that is now also bringing domestic politicians into the picture. Lower Austria’s SPÖ leader Sven Hergovich, who has strong connections at Vienna Airport, is calling for price interventions (as he did with fuel at gas stations) and is addressing the Minister of Economy. “Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer must begin preparing a crisis mechanism. It is important to intervene early in windfall profits to prevent inflation from spiraling out of control,” he says.
Call for a ban on military overflights
At the same time, the Red Party is calling for a ban on military overflights in Austrian airspace “for security reasons” due to the war, as countries like Spain, Italy, and Switzerland already have. “This war harms Austrian economic interests, Europe as a whole, and world peace. A ban on all overflights could be our small contribution to an Easter peace that we all long for. It would also send a clear signal against Trump’s shameful policies,” explains Hergovich.
EU Commissioner Wants Us to Travel Less
To reduce fuel consumption amid the Iran crisis, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen is urging citizens to avoid traveling. “Themore we can do to save oil—especially diesel and aviation fuel—the better off we’ll be,” he explained. The situation is very serious, the Danish official said in Brussels. Member states should also take countermeasures, such as reducing speed limits on highways by ten kilometers per hour, promoting public transportation, and restricting car access to major cities.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
Willkommen in unserer Community! Eingehende Beiträge werden geprüft und anschließend veröffentlicht. Bitte achten Sie auf Einhaltung unserer Netiquette und AGB. Für ausführliche Diskussionen steht Ihnen ebenso das krone.at-Forum zur Verfügung. Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.
User-Beiträge geben nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des Betreibers/der Redaktion bzw. von Krone Multimedia (KMM) wieder. In diesem Sinne distanziert sich die Redaktion/der Betreiber von den Inhalten in diesem Diskussionsforum. KMM behält sich insbesondere vor, gegen geltendes Recht verstoßende, den guten Sitten oder der Netiquette widersprechende bzw. dem Ansehen von KMM zuwiderlaufende Beiträge zu löschen, diesbezüglichen Schadenersatz gegenüber dem betreffenden User geltend zu machen, die Nutzer-Daten zu Zwecken der Rechtsverfolgung zu verwenden und strafrechtlich relevante Beiträge zur Anzeige zu bringen (siehe auch AGB). Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.