The absurd reason why hundreds of ghost flights fly over Europe every day

Some days ago Lufthansa released a practice that surprised many people: he has made 18,000 flights in winter without any passengers or cargo some. The airline company acted in this way because of a European Union regulation that is controversial to say the least.

As explained in Mic, in the European Union there is a very specific regulation of airports when it comes to manage take-off and landing slots that must be fulfilled with at least 80% of scheduled flights.

Airplanes must take off and land at the scheduled times or there is a risk that they will lose their position, their place at the airport. Both in the present and in the future. This is what could be defined as a “use it or lose it” policy.

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With the coronavirus pandemic this 80% requirement was reduced to 50%, although for months there have been even fewer flights in which it has been traveled. Let’s remember that even if the plane goes from one airport to another, perhaps the movement of people is not allowed or the borders are closed.

It should be noted that the situation with phantom flights not exclusive to Europe and in the United States, for example, the same controversy is also experienced.

The result of this circumstance is that it is contaminated in an almost useless way with a means of transport that is very unsustainable with the planet. Companies consider that losing their seats at airports is not an option and They invest in these flights that do not generate profits either.

Although all this has aroused some controversy, for the moment it remains the same. It seems difficult for this regulation to be completely eliminated and the companies are also going to do everything possible not to lose their seats at the airports.