At Stuttgart Airport in Germany, new charges for take-off and landing come into effect on July 1st, 2019. The new regulations actively encourage the use of innovative technology, such as electric aircraft and alternative fuels. From now on, airplanes completely powered with electric motors can land free of charge at Stuttgart Airport for an entire year. The use of alternative fuel will be funded by a program with a total volume of €500,000. Airlines receive a grant of up to €300 per 1,000 litres alternative fuel.
The goal of these strategic adjustments is to create incentives for technology development towards quiet and climate-friendly aviation and to facilitate the adoption of available innovations. Walter Schoefer, CEO of Stuttgart Airport, welcomed the amended version: “It is an urgent matter that flying becomes more climate-friendly. For us as an infrastructure provider, the new regulation is a way to promote this mission.”
Dr Arina Freitag, managing director aviation, said: “Stuttgart is the first German airport to incentivize the use of electricity-based fuel and electric aircraft in its charges regulation. To us, sustainability also means thinking long-term and considering the needs of our stakeholders. For our passengers, we aim to develop our route network sustainably, and for our neighbors, we support quieter planes.”
Stuttgart Airport defines alternative aviation fuel, as admirable kerosene, which permits a reduction of greenhouse gases by at least 60 percent relative to the replaced quantity of fossil kerosene and which is made with the aid of hydrogen produced from renewable energy and a renewable carbon source (e.g. cement production).
