As part of the European green deal, the EU plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in the next eight years. Its transport-related legislation will increase plane fares, particularly for Irish tourists travelling to Spain and beyond. The EU’s ‘Fit for 55′ package puts forward legislation that will ensure that the EU’s climate goal is reached.
Climbing Costs
The prospect of a ‘ticket tax’ is just one of the proposed policies we may see implemented, as well as an additional £7 added to the cost of a plane ticket to Spain. A Deloitte report has predicted a loss of 11 million international tourists to Spain as a result of these changes. This will, of course, have a knock-on effect for prospective travellers who may be used to flying at a cheaper rate and possible job cuts. We can also expect to see Spain’s economy take a hit.
The deal also pushes for more renewable energy usage in its ReFuelEU aviation policy. By substituting harmful jet fuels consisting of fossil fuels with more sustainable options such as biofuel, the EU will significantly reduce the levels of greenhouse gases emitted from this sector. This particular regulation will affect aircraft fuel suppliers, and airlines flying from EU airports (they will need to uphold the rules on sustainable energy). With all the proposed changes, we can predict that using a more expensive form of energy will cause ticket prices to climb even higher.
For the Greater Good
Despite a rise in fares, the benefits will be sure to outweigh the costs. We will hopefully see improvements in aircraft engine technology, including introducing economic measures and developments in air traffic management. The increased use of hybrid and electric planes will also see these airlines exempt from proposed tax rates for intra-EU flights using synthetic jet fuels, under the Energy Taxation Directive. Countries such as Sweden and Norway may find themselves less impacted by these regulations as they are already on course to becoming more sustainable with Scandinavian Airlines recently introducing electric aircraft for domestic flights. On the other hand, European countries such as Malta rely heavily on the income generated through tourism and so may notice more of an impact than other countries.
With the prices of half-term holidays at an all-time high, increasing costs and temporarily disrupted economies might be something that the world will have to get used to in order to drastically slow down the rate of climate change.
How do you feel about the prospect of prices going up? Is it worth it? Let us know in the comments!
