Trains too expensive to justify net zero rules on air travel, says Loganair chief

The boss of Britain’s biggest regional airline criticised rail travel as a poor alternative to flying even on relatively short journeys within the UK. Luke Farajallah, CE of Loganair, said suggestions that people should be encouraged to take trains instead of planes were misguided, because rail travel was slow and relatively expensive even for trips between major cities. Farajallah spoke after Loganair announced a 35-minute flight from Manchester to Southampton that he predicted would prove a popular alternative to both rail and road. It comes after the Government’s official adviser on climate change said last month that “restricting some domestic flights” might need to be considered as a potential “lever” towards hitting net zero. The Climate Change Committee indicated that restrictions could be introduced on the 31pc or more of such flights with a rail alternative of under five hours, while noting that domestic flying accounts for just 4pc of Britain’s overall aviation emissions. Farajallah said: “I fundamentally disagree with all of these arguments. People should be encouraged to fly these distances if they want to. There is a demand to fly and it’s the most convenient and easiest way to travel. People also underestimate how expensive the railway actually is when you really add it all up, including travel to and from the train station.”<br/>