What direction would you like the FNAM to take as its new Chairman?
Pascal de Izaguirre - Broadly speaking, the airline industry is currently facing two main challenges geopolitical and economic crisis as well as a necessary ecological transition. I'm going to work hard to ensure that the FNAM is in a position to articulate credible solutions to these existential challenges. Furthermore, the French airline industry, which accounts for 95% of its jobs in France, must in my view maintain its attractiveness for employees, and I will ensure that high-quality social dialogue is maintained within the industry. Finally, I am more committed than ever to ensuring that FNAM's actions contribute to the preservation of the democratisation of air transport over the last two decades. Air transport is a vehicle for peace and progress that must benefit as many people as possible. I firmly believe that our collective intelligence and science will enable us to overcome the challenges we face, rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach. decrease which, paradoxically, would take us back to the days when air transport was reserved for an elite.
What are the most pressing issues for the commercial aviation sector in 2023, in terms of institutions and regulators? And what about consumers?
Pascal de Izaguirre - On the ecological planThe aim will be to ensure that the public authorities rapidly create the conditions forestablishing a sustainable aviation fuel industry in France (CAD or SAF in English). These fuels, of which 50% can already be used in airline fleets, are essential if the sector is to achieve its objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. The government should also set up a "Scrappage scheme to help airlines renew their fleet with new-generation aircraft with lower CO2 emissions (-20 to -25% compared with the previous generation) and improved noise performance (30% reduction in noise emissions).
On the economic planThe French government must support the French airline industry, which has seen a return to buoyant activity since the end of travel restrictions, but which is still struggling to make headway. financially fragile. The State should therefore bear the cost of part of the debt created during Covid, as well as the financing of airport security, which is a sovereign activity of the State.
On the redundancy planThe public authorities and the industry must work together to restore the attractiveness of the aviation professions. Their image has been needlessly damaged, despite the fact that the sector is a major provider of both skilled and unskilled jobs.
With regard to passengerswe owe them a quality of service as irreproachable as possible. This is why I wanted the FNAM to sign a service quality charter with the French government and the airports. We are delighted that the State is making a commitment to the sector's professionals so that the service provided, particularly in terms of facilitating border crossings but also air traffic control, can be improved and contribute to France's attractiveness in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games in 2023 and 2024.
How might air travel supply and demand evolve in 2023 in France and around the world? What are the main obstacles and advantages to the sector's dynamism?
Pascal de Izaguirre - The economic and geopolitical situation is currently very uncertain. At this stage, we are still seeing strong demand for travel, and activity at the end of the year will certainly be even higher than that seen this summer. However overall air transport costs have risen and it is difficult to predict the scale of demand over the coming months, especially as we are wondering about certain possible structural changes, such as the decline in business travel.
Will 2023 mark a new turning point in the relationship between ecology and aviation in France?
Pascal de Izaguirre - I sincerely hope so. The airline industry is enthusiastically committed to the ecological transition of the sector. Considerable work has been done toidentify possible decarbonisation levers. Solutions exist to ensure that people can continue to travel wisely. I hope that the government will not give in to the siren calls of the pessimists and the dwindlers, and will support the sector so that it can make a success of its energy transition. Ultimately, it seems to me that it's just a question of political will.
What are the consequences of replacing domestic flights with trains on short-haul routes? Could the measure jeopardise certain aspects of air transport?
Pascal de Izaguirre - The FNAM's position has always been to not to pit different modes of transport against each other and, on the contrary developing cooperative ventures each in its own area of relevance. In this context, I am opposed to prohibition measures based on a punitive logic and would like the French government to give clear priority to identified levers for decarbonising existing air transport, such as sustainable aviation fuels (CAD/SAF). The European Commission's decision not to explicitly exclude connecting flights is likely to penalise the French flag and connecting hubs to the benefit of those in other countries. third countries. It should also be noted thatno other country has proposed adopting a similar measure. For me, this decision is just further confirmation that the right scale for dealing with the environmental problems of air transport cannot be national.
