Scandinavian Airlines CEO Warns Airlines to Get Real Over Environment


Skift Take

Businesses invariably hate regulation, but sometimes it takes threats and fines to help change things for the better. Would airlines really be pushing their green credentials if consumers, governments, and the media weren't asking difficult questions?

The CEO of Scandinavian Airlines operator SAS Group expects governments to put in place tougher regulations on airlines unless the industry makes significant progress on reducing its environmental impact. Asked on an earnings call about the potential for further environmental taxes, Rickard Gustafson said it was clear that this was increasingly the direction of travel. “I believe that if aviation as an industry fails to articulate a trustworthy roadmap towards a more sustainable industry, and not just hide behind an aggressive goal by 2040, or by 2050, but articulate a clear roadmap from now to the future with tangible sub-goals. If we can't do