Trains and flights on a departure information board at Frankfurt Airport in April. Deutsche Lufthansa AG and German state railway Deutsche Bahn AG are cooperating on express-train services that could replace short-haul flights amid heightening concern about aviation’s carbon footprint. Is Germany planning to ground short-haul flights? One might think so witnessing the intense debate on the subject occupying local media. In May, Annalena Baerbock — the German Green party’s candidate for chancellor — said in an interview that “short-haul flights shouldn’t exist in the future,” advocating for higher taxes and the eventual abolition of such flights. While they’ve slipped in recent polls, the Greens are still poised for a strong showing in September’s national vote and could be positioned for a role in the next government, giving the position weight. With pandemic-weary Germans ready to travel as lockdown restrictions ease and Germany’s election campaign heating up, her comments […]