Fewer domestic flights, but better train connections – that is what the aviation association BDL and Deutsche Bahn want to achieve together. You have a specific goal.
The number of domestic flights in Germany is expected to decrease significantly. This is not what aviation critics say, but rather the Federal Association of the German Air Transport Industry (BDL) and Deutsche Bahn DB. You start a joint action plan to switch to rail and thus to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In a declaration signed on Thursday (April 15), they announced that they would improve the interfaces and the range of services so that more travelers opt for rail, especially when traveling to hubs. “The aviation industry and DB see the potential that a good 20 percent of those who travel within Germany by plane will choose the rail instead,” they write. In the medium term, the partners want to “attract around 4.3 million passengers to switch to the train”.
«Reduce frequencies and discontinue connections»
“In 2019, the aviation industry recorded around 23 million travelers, 8 million of them on feeder traffic and 15 million on purely domestic trips,” calculate BDL and DB. “As a result, the share of domestic German air traffic in the CO2– Reduce emissions in Germany by a sixth. “
To achieve this, the range of feeder trains for international flights, such as the Lufthansa Express Rail service, is to grow. “Wherever passengers accept the offer and increasingly switch to rail, the aviation industry can consequently reduce flight frequencies and also discontinue connections, such as on the Cologne-Frankfurt connection or most recently on the Berlin-Nuremberg route,” it says.
Baggage drop-off should become easier
The railways will expand the infrastructure and services, especially between the big cities. The goal is a “high-frequency long-distance network with up to two trains per hour between the metropolises”. In addition, changing between flights and trains should be made easier through better routing and signage. BDL and DB also want to improve the transition to the airport’s security area. “Baggage handling should also become easier. Frankfurt Airport is the starting point for this. “
Five airports are currently linked with long-distance and local transport (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Cologne / Bonn and Leipzig / Halle) and another seven airports with local transport (Dresden, Friedrichshafen, Hamburg, Hanover, Lübeck, Munich and Stuttgart). Stuttgart Airport will be connected to long-distance traffic from December 2025. Bavaria is also examining options for a more extensive connection to Munich Airport.
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