Climate activist Greta Thunberg was blasted by a Swedish minister as Stockholm backed the aviation sector with a £76million cash injection.
Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson announced more than one billion kronor would go into support carriers struggling to bounceback from the Covid pandemic, skyrocketing energy bills and the economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Carlson, who is a member of the right-wing Christian Democrats, said: “There are few reasons to feel flight shame and as the [green] transition increases there will be even fewer.”
The minister’s comments refuted the concept of “flygskam”, known in English as "flight shame".
A queue gathering at a Swedish airport with an inset of Greta Thunberg
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Thunberg, 21, led the campaign to encourage the public to boycott air travel due to the guilt associated with carbon emissions.
The Swedish climate change activist even took a two-week yacht journey across the Atlantic to ensure she did not fly to New York to attend a UN meeting.
However, the latest announcement from Stockholm comes as a significant change from the previous administration.
Sweden formed its right-leaning Government in 2022 after the incumbent Social Democrat Party lost its majority.
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Greta Thunberg is a leading figure in Sweden's climate change movement
PAThe coalition of Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals, is also supported by the populist Sweden Democrats Party.
It is not a formal member but does carry influence over policy in exchange for backing the coalition in Stockholm.
The previous left-wing Government announced plans to launch overnight trains to Germany and Belgium.
Tomas Eneroth, then-Infrastructure Minsiter, welcomed the move.
He said: “It should be easy to choose the right way and travel climate smart!”
Minister of Infrastructure of Sweden Andreas Carlson announced a fresh boost for the aviation sector
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However, the recent intervention will stop additional travel costs being passed onto consumers.
It is intended to be channelled into airports' security and baggage handling costs.
Such fees are usually fronted up per passenger and were neglected during Covid due to a dramatic fall in the number of people travelling by air.
Carlson said: “A billion-kronor debt has accumulated in this system.
“This debt is now being paid off by the state’s capital injection.”
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said: “Sweden is a sparsely populated and oblong country that is greatly dependent on transportation that makes it easy for both people and companies to travel.”
