Tax on Europe’s frequent flyers could raise €64bn a year – study

A “jet-setter” tax on Europe’s frequent flyers could slow global heating and raise €64bn (£54bn) a year at no extra cost to most people, a report has found. Carbon pollution pumped out of planes could fall by 21% if people were made to pay more for each extra flight they take beyond the first return trip, according to analysis from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and partner organisations. Just over half the benefits in a given year would come from the 5% of people who fly the most, while 72% of people would escape fees by flying once or not at all. A frequent-flyer levy would raise cash that could be invested in trains and buses while reducing “excessive” flights for the wealthiest, said Magdalena Heuwieser from the campaign group Stay Grounded, which co-wrote the report. “Right now, it doesn’t matter whether you’re flying to visit your family for the first time in years or taking a 10th annual flight to your luxury house on the coast – you’ll be paying the same tax for that flight.” The report, shared exclusively with the Guardian, is the first to explore how a frequent-flyer levy could work in Europe.<br/>