EU countries are outraged because of the "ghost flights" in Europe

Lufthansa announced the implementation of empty or semi-empty flights to save slots for takeoff and landing due to EU requirements. Belgium demanded to revise the rules due to environmental damage,

Several states in the European Union are demanding changes to rules that force airlines to send empty or semi-empty planes, called "ghost flights", according to The Financial Times.

Air carriers are required to use at least half of their flight slots this winter. The usual indicators that existed before the pandemic required airlines to use 80% of flight slots. During the pandemic, this figure was reduced. If the airline is unable to fly, then it must return the permits for their performance for redistribution. Now, against the backdrop of the spread of the omicron strain, air carriers and countries fear that they will not be able to carry out even 50% of flights.

Thus, the Belgian Minister of Transport George Gilkinet in a letter to the EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said that the established rules threaten the EU's goals to reduce emissions. He argues that "quick action" is needed to lower the 50 percent slot occupancy threshold for winter and summer this year, and before "until a recovery from this CORONAVIRUS crisis is confirmed."

In Moscow, the incidence of coronavirus per day increased by one and a half times Society

The leadership of the European Union hinder this initiative, points out The Financial Times. In an interview with the publication, Valean said that the requirements provide "the necessary flexibility to prevent empty flights." This winter, about 77% of flights were made from the level of the pre-pandemic period, at the beginning of the year a figure of 79% is predicted. “The impact of the fourth wave [of the spread of COVID-19] and the omicron option on air travel may not be as negative and long-term as [we] initially feared,” she concluded.

See also Deputy Mayor of Moscow Yefimov on how the “green agenda” is changing the face of the capital 00:56