Aviation Intelligence Reporter November 2025
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- The 1969 Edition
- What is ‘Cartel’ in German? Or in French? Asking for a friend
- Bliss it was to be Alive, in 1969
- Lufthansa Goes Back to the Future, in Print
- Whither Mitigation Action on Aviation Emissions?
- Take Only Photos, Leave Only a Category Error
- Germany Goes Back to the Future, Again, in Montreal
What is ‘Cartel’ in German? Or in French? Asking for a Friend
Once upon a time, in the Good Old Days, Air France and Lufthansa did not see themselves as competitors, trying to woo passengers onto their own services and away from the other; tearing lumps out of each other as they did so, in order to compete. No, they were brothers in arms, determined to work together to shape the environment to their will, not to take on the world. Not to compete. Heaven forfend. No, European aviation was all about clubbing together, a comfortable place to stitch up the world. Oh, wait, sorry, no; that is now. Anyone that thought we were talking about 1969 is required to report to the basement for re-education immediately.
Bliss it was to be Alive, in 1969
Wordsworth was talking about the French Revolution when he wrote Prelude to Book XI but if he was an airline manager he might equally have been talking about, oh, what about 1969? Bliss it was to be alive, but to be young was very heaven indeed. For airline managers, was there ever a better year than 1969? Is that why Lufthansa and Air France seem so determined to go back to 1969? And, to drag the rest of us back there, too. Ah, 1969 – the Good Old Days. For Lufthansa in particular [below], everything is going wrong now – can we go back to the Good Old Days please?
Lufthansa Goes Back to the Future, in Germany
A number of airlines, not all, but a few, like to publish regular updates on issues of regulatory and government affairs concern. Lobbying documents for the hoi polloi. The upside is that they put the airline’s side of the story without the intervention of pesky journalists or well-informed regulators. These documents tend to be glossy and well produced, as they should be. Infographics abound. By way of example, here is Emirates’ offering, Open Sky. Lufthansa’s is called Policy Brief. It is published from its Policy Hub. Its editor is the Head of Corporate Communications, Andreas Bartels. So, we can assume that every word is Official Lufthansa Position on whatever the document discusses. Its October Special is a keeper. The theme is Back-to-1969-Please.
Whither Mitigation Action on Aviation Emissions
By Chris Lyle, Air Transport Economics
In this, the year of submission of more ambitious commitments to the Paris Agreement due at this month’s COP30 in Brazil, emissions mitigation action in the two sectors outsourced by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has stalled. In October, not only did the International Maritime Organization postpone committal to its (fairly strong, legally binding) Net Zero Framework for at least a year, but ICAO deferred strengthening its (weak, non-binding) policy on international aviation emissions for three years. So where do we go from here on aviation emissions?
Take Only Photos, Leave Only a Category Error
Nothing better defines the Schrodinger’s cat phenomenon of tourism than the phrase ‘take only photos, leave only footprints’. A noble sentiment. However, it glosses over the uncomfortable truth that tourism, both in industry and act, is built upon impact. The Tourist imposes, consumes, and reshapes, leaving more than just footprints behind. The impact has its benefits, perhaps, but its negatives cannot be easily mended with a reusable tote bag or carbon-neutral booking. Tourism is, at its core, a category error. It’s very mechanics rely on movement, intervention, resource use, and inevitably, consequence. Then we point at the consequent and cry out, ‘make this sustainable’.
Germany Goes Back to the Future, in Montreal
Working its Back-to-1969-Please meme, Germany itself gave a virtuoso piece of street theatre in Montreal at the recent ICAO General Assembly. Those lucky enough to see this flashmob were in the Air Transport Regulation Panel. You might think the ATRP is not a venue for such entertainment, but you might be surprised. Making the potential for comedy more obvious is that the ATRP reports into the Economic Commission of the Assembly. Renowned for its comedic potential, the Economic Commission.