Belgian Transport Minister Travels 34 Miles In Private Jet -Country To Miss 2020, 2030 Climate Goals

[hatrack]

A Belgian transport minister has come under fire for taking a private jet from Brussels to Antwerp, a journey of approximately 34 miles.

Lydia Peeters, mobility minister in the Flemish regional government, admitted she had taken a press flight organised by the private jet company ASL Fly Executive.

The journey, which takes 46 minutes on twice-hourly fast trains, has been heavily criticised by green groups and political opponents. One Greenpeace campaigner described the flight as “mind-blowing”, while a deputy for the Green party in the Flemish parliament, Imade Annouri, said it was nonsensical, polluting and outdated. “In several neighbouring countries, short flights are being phased out and investments are being put into rail links,” the Flemish deputy said. “I would prefer to see the minister for mobility in the avant-garde rather than supporting an airline company.”

Peeters said she had taken the flight to show support for regional airports, but conceded her presence at a press conference would have been enough. In a statement, Peeters said she fully supported initiatives to make the aviation industry more sustainable. “Mobility and sustainability will have to go hand in hand. I therefore fully understood the criticism of last Tuesday’s press flight.”

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/12/belgian-transport-minister-in-row-over-34-mile-trip-in-private-jet

[progree]

1. And then there's the drive to the airport, and the drive from the airport to downtown

whereas passenger trains usually pass through on the edge of the downtown core if not the downtown core itself.