MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Lufthansa 's Carsten Spohr took aim at Deutsche Bahn at a forum on the interconnection of different modes of transport. Munich Airport, for example, is still not connected to the DB long-distance network, he criticized on Tuesday at the IAA Mobility car and transport show in Munich. Travelers do not want to change trains unnecessarily often with their suitcases and choose - where possible - more convenient alternatives. Linking different modes of transport also requires the necessary infrastructure.

Deutsche Bahn board member Michael Peterson admitted that the railroads were overloaded in the face of growing demand and that there were too many disruptions. "We have invested too little in infrastructure over decades." He said he was all the more pleased that the federal government was now making a lot of money available for this: After the gradual renewal of the network, the railroads will have a much better infrastructure in ten years, he said.

Lufthansa CEO Spohr said, "Our biggest customer is the automotive industry." He said the industry represented ten percent of freight volume and one percent of passengers. Still, he urged the auto industry not to dispute the airlines' scarce synthetic fuels, or e-fuels, which they need for more climate-friendly air travel.

The president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), Hildegard Müller, defended her call for e-fuels by referring to the countless gasoline and diesel cars on the road. With e-fuels, they could drive cleaner immediately.

Shortly before the official opening of the IAA by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), she again made clear her concern about an exodus of industry: "We want to invest here. But the conditions have to be right for that," Müller said. "That's our message to the government." The U.S. was luring with a huge investment program, China was doing its best to support its auto industry, and Germany had very expensive electricity, she said. "We need cheaper energy."/rol/DP/stw