Sweden Marks End Of ‘Flight Shame,’ Invests $97 Million In Aviation

Sweden’s Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson has declared an end to the ‘flight shame’ movement which began in Sweden. He suggests it is no longer relevant in light of the airline industry’s adoption of more sustainable technologies. The statement came during a press briefing announcing the Swedish government’s infusion of one billion and thirty-five million Swedish kroner in cash (approximately $97 million) in the critical aviation sector.

“There are few reasons to feel flight shame, and as the (green) transition increases, there will be even fewer,” Carlson told reporters gathered at the briefing of the new investment this week. The proposal was drafted through an agreement between the government and the Sweden Democrats.

The flight shame ‘flyskam’ movement took off in Sweden in 2018 as a reaction to the aviation sector’s carbon footprint. Notable climate advocates, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, refuse to fly and encourage others to opt for alternative transport methods like rail. However noble the purpose, the flight shame movement fails to acknowledge an immutable fact: flying is the only practical option for transporting people and cargo quickly to remote areas and over oceans. Aviation is an essential engine for the economy in Sweden and beyond, as Swedish ministers emphasized when announcing the fresh round of funding for the sector.

Sweden Depends On Aviation

“Sweden is dependent on aviation for the whole country to function,” Helena Gellerman, infrastructure policy spokesperson, said in a government statement.

In the same statement, Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson added,“Sweden is a sparsely populated and elongated country that is heavily dependent on transport that makes it easy for both people and companies to travel.”

The announced $97 million cash infusion will address a deficit in the country’s joint fee equalization system, known as GAS, which covers security screening passengers and their luggage. Swedish security-approved airports' security screening costs are accumulated and distributed per departing passenger. The Swedish Transport Agency invoices the airlines based on the number of passengers transported. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a sharp drop in air traffic while airports' costs largely remained the same, generating a shortfall.

“The Swedish aviation industry is in a very sensitive situation,” said Infrastructure and Housing Minister Andreas Carlson in the Swedish government’s statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic, increased fuel prices, and wars and unrest in our surrounding world are factors that have strongly affected aviation.”

The government’s investment will offset the sharp fee increases that would have been necessary within the GAS system, mitigating fee increases for airlines. Finance Minister Svantesson added, “Right now, airlines are in a tough financial situation after the pandemic.”

SAS Navigates Hard Times And U.S. Bankruptcy

Scandinavian Airlines SAS, the flagship carrier of Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, has been recovering from the COVID-19 crisis. Headquartered in Stockholm, the airline has faced a challenging economic environment. It is navigating a Chapter 11 process in the U.S. and received U.S. court approval for a $1.2 billion investment through a consortium of investors including Castlelake, Air France-KLM, Lind Invest, and the Danish state. This investment gives Air France-KLM about 20% equity in SAS.

Passengers are returning, increasing by 33% last year to 23.7 million. SAS ended its financial year 2023 with revenues of SEK 42 billion (over $4 billion). Still, it reported a pre-tax loss of SEK 5.7 billion ($554 million) despite implementing a number of cost-saving measures.

Aviation Sustainability Remains A Priority

While working to turn around the financial sustainability of the airline, SAS has also committed itself to being environmentally sustainable. The airline has a target to reduce CO2 emissions 25% by 2025, compared to the 2005 benchmark. SAS reported a 27% increase in emissions year-on-year for 2023, compared to 2022. That was attributed to a return to service more flights and new destinations. On average, SAS offset 38% of passenger-related carbon emissions during the year.

The airline is also enhancing the fleet with new, more fuel-efficient aircraft, that consume from 15% to 30% less fuel than the aircraft they replace, reducing CO2 emissions.

SAS has embraced sustainable aviation fuel along its path to net-zero emissions. It used 6,049 tonnes of SAF for its operations last year, almost double the volume of SAF the airline consumed in 2022. The airline also participates in an EU-funded research project at Copenhagen Airport to investigate the impact of SAF flights on local air quality.

Ground measurements taken during analysis of SAS flights using a 35% SAF blend show a 30% reduction in the emission of ultrafine particles.

“This is really good news,” said Christian Poulsen, Acting CEO at Copenhagen Airport in a press release about the tests. “It’s an important discovery that sustainable aviation fuel impacts air quality. We already know it helps reduce CO2 emissions. So this is another significant benefit of transitioning aviation to sustainable fuels.”

Aiming for net-zero carbon future, SAS is also involved in projects promoting electric-fueled aircraft. The airline sold out future electric flights planned for 2028, and is part of a consortium with Airbus developing hydrogen-fuel.

Sweden’s Airports Are Recovering As Passengers Return

Swedavia, Sweden’s airport operator has benefited from a resurgence of air travel demand and an increase in commercial revenues.

Swedavia’s ten airports served over 32 million passengers in 2023, a 17% increase from the previous year and 80% of pre-pandemic traffic. International travelers increased by 19% over 2022, reaching 24 million. Domestic passenger numbers grew by 10%.

Swedavia reported net revenue for the year of nearly SEK 6 billion. Still, the company ended the year with an operating loss of SEK 318 million. That is still a significant improvement over the SEK 783 million loss posted for 2022.

“As the number of passengers increased, so did costs, which were also pushed up by inflation,” said Jonas Abrahamsson, President and CEO of Swedavia in a press brief on the financials. “As travel increases, we will continue our efforts to return to sustainable profitability.”

Stockholm Arlanda and Gothenburg Landvetter airports are significant employers in Sweden. Arlanda is among the largest workplaces in the country, employing 17,500 people. Both airports are actively hiring to fill hundreds of jobs in a variety of positions requiring diverse skillsets in operations, IT, service, and security.

No Shame In Aviation As Essential Infrastructure

“Aviation plays an important role in people's everyday lives,” said Thomas Morell (SD), traffic policy spokesperson in the Swedish government’s statement announcing the funding plans. “There are many companies around the country where aviation is crucial to their operations. In addition, aviation is important for socially important transports such as ambulance flights, police flights, fire flights, and not least, from a defense point of view. With the investment now being implemented, we are creating the conditions for well-functioning flight in the future as well.”