Jumping the: Co-operation between the air and rail industries is set to grow as air space becomes an ever scarcer commodity.

Publication: Airline Business

Publication Date: 04-JUN-01

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COPYRIGHT 2001 Reed Business Information Ltd.

Europe's airlines have had little cause to welcome their region's heavily-subsidised rail industry. However, after years of suspicion, co-operation appears to be breaking out. Even for the USA, where rail is far more marginal, there are some signs of life. But it is in Europe where the main developments lie. And the catalyst for renewed interest has been the limits on airport capacity. This has pushed some of the majors to look at rail as an alternative for shorter haul feeder services - thus freeing up much-needed capacity for more medium- and long-haul flights at their congested hubs.

Germany, which has long been under environmental pressure to increase rail use, remains at the forefront. Lufthansa plans to utilise Deutsche Bahn's (DB's) ICE high-speed network for baggage-through check-ins at rail stations on certain domestic routes, starting with Frankfurt Airport to Stuttgart. If this proves successful, the idea will be extended to certain other short-haul routes and could free up 5%of Frankfurt Airport's 460,000 annual flight movements - equivalent to a year of growth.

Europe's regional carriers see things differently. Their feeder role and shorter sector lengths bring them into more direct conflict with what they argue is an unfairly subsidised and politically promoted rail sector. Regional flights in Europe average around 530km, which puts them largely within the total 3-4 hour journey time which is the equilibrium point for air/rail market share (see graph on page 108).

Despite the doubts among regionals, the air and rail industries have increasingly been co-operating when it comes to airport-city links, providing quick access between airport and city centres in places as far flung as London and Oslo. Madrid too is building what will be the first downtown metro station check-in facility in the world. However, while city centre rail links have traditionally been seen as complimentary to air services, this has not always been the case with high speed trains.

For high-speed and city centre transits alike, visions of seamless travel are premature. There...

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