On Earth Day, climate organisations are focusing on airlines seeking and receiving hundreds of billions in taxpayer money, yet with no requirements to reduce their pollution.

A new airline bailout tracker published today by Transport & Environment, Greenpeace and Carbon Market Watch will track the government bailouts which have been made, “without binding environmental conditions”...

Greenpeace EU Covid-19 spokesperson, Faiza Oulahsen, said: “Public bailouts must come with strict conditions to protect jobs and slash the aviation sector’s soaring contribution to climate breakdown.

“Short-haul flights have to become a thing of the past and this money should help airline workers to reskill.

“Any public funding should lay the foundation for a just and green transition for people and planet, with widespread investment in transport alternatives like trains. Governments must address both the economic impacts of the Covid-19 crisis and the crisis we face in climate change.”

The airline bailout tracker is the organisations’ spotlight on the amount of taxpayer money being used as support for European airlines, and the lack of environmental conditions being attached to that money...