Airline bailout should come with climate strings attached, Democrats and environmentalists say

Federal assistance to help airlines cope with economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic should come with a guarantee the carbon-intensive sector will cut its emissions, Democrats and environmental advocates say.

Several Democrats are pushing efforts to link financial aid to the air travel industry with requirements that it reduce its greenhouse gas emissions amid fast-moving negotiations over a $1 trillion stimulus package to address the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Senate Republicans unveiled a draft bill Friday that includes $50 billion in “loans and loan guarantees” to airlines.