“It is not the train which is too expensive, it is the plane which is not enough”: the CEO of ADP responds to the boss of the SNCF – Boursorama

“I think that the train needs to develop and you will never see me questioning the artificialization of railways, you will never see me questioning the subsidies that the rail sector receives, never”.

Asked Wednesday, December 1 by the Assembly’s sustainable development committee on the high cost of train tickets compared to air travel to certain French destinations, SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou estimated that “it is not the train which is too expensive, it is the plane which is not enough “, by calling for more taxing air and road transport, to the extent of their impact on the climate.

Its exit strongly reacted to the actors of the aviation sector. “I have always considered in life that when the neighbor’s plate filled up, it did not empty mine. So I am a friend of the development of all services”, replied on BFM Business the CEO of Groupe ADP (formerly Aéroports de Paris) Augustin de Romanet.

“I think the train needs to develop and you will never see me questioning the artificialization of the railways, the glyphosate used by the people who maintain the railways, you will never see me never question the subsidies that the railway sector receives, “Augustin de Romanet underlined. ” I believe that everyone must stay in their swimming lane to provide the best possible service and that each one sweeps in front of his door. I try to sweep in front of the door of airports “, he concluded.

The rail sector more taxed than the air?

On Wednesday, the CEO of SNCF also questioned the taxes paid by the airline sector compared to those borne by the rail sector. ” Do we blame the cost of its carbon impact on the plane ticket or not? I do not understand why airlines are exempt from all tax on kerosene. Me, I pay taxes, on my energy, on my diesel I pay taxes … “, had thus pleaded Jean-Pierre Farandou.” If I had a wish to make, it would be a reflection on an enlargement of the carbon taxation to the whole of the transport activity “, he had summarized.

A point on which reacted the National Federation of Aviation and its trades (Fnam). Believing in a press release that “competition constitutes a powerful vector of quality of service and allows as many people as possible access to travel”, she recalled that the aviation sector is indeed affected by taxes, taking the example of a Paris-Nice plane ticket at 90 euros. “This concrete case illustrates the very significant weight already represented by taxes and fees in France since, in this example, these represent more than half of the total price paid by the passenger (53%) “, assures Fnam which recalls that” air transport remains a sector resolutely committed to the decarbonization of its activities “.