A new scheme that aims to help the European Union control aviation emissions could see flight prices rise by £9 after officials approved of a new emissions trading system in the bloc, with the increased costs likely to be passed on to customers.
According to a Financial Times report, flight tickets could go up as much as €10 (£9) per return flight within the next few years and while the extra fee won’t make a huge difference to expensive fares to and from Europe, it could double the price of some ultra-low cost tickets.
Although this new paperwork doesn’t cost the aviation companies any money, free permits will be phased out and it would first reduced by a quarter in 2024, then halved in 2025 and then completely eradicated by 2026.
It is estimated that this will cost six of the biggest intra-EU airlines around £4.5billion in 2027, up from £3billion in 2019.
Further increase in flight price is also expected as the EU is currently considering new rules around the mandatory use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and increased taxes on kerosene.
Read also: Document shows EU countries on course to agree push on fossil fuel phase-out
The new rules by the EU are designed to encourage the adoption of greener aviation technology, while discouraging emission heavy flying.
In the EU in 2017, direct emissions from aviation accounted for 3.8% of total CO2 emissions, while the aviation sector accounted for 13.9% of the emissions from transport.
If global aviation were a country, it would rank in the top 10 emitters and by the EU’s own estimates, to achieve climate neutrality, the bloc needs to reduce transport emissions, including aviation, by 90% by 2050.
Story was adapted from the UK Mirror
