Belgium is set to follow France and impose measures to reduce the use of private jets and short-haul flights.

In a move to discourage short air journeys and increase use of public transport, and reduce climate damage, new fees will apply to smaller planes and private jets that have previously been exempt from taxes on noise. Furthermore, from 1 April 2023 air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and the destination of the flight will all be factored into the additional costs.

Belgium has already imposed a €2 tax per passenger tax on EU routes and a new boarding tax to encourage alternatives to short haul flights, but the new fees on flights shorter than 500 km ramp up the pressure to €10 per passenger.

Operator Ryanair has already condemned the decisions of the EU Commission to support the vote of the European Parliament to extend ETS (enviro taxes) onto long haul flights which account for over 54 per cent of EU aviation.

Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary said: “Yet again the Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen has abandoned the environment and Europe’s ordinary families. The Commission’s failure to support the Parliament vote means that Europe’s most polluting flights (long-haul and transfer passengers) who create the majority of EU aviation emissions, will continue to be exempt from paying their fair share of ETS taxes. While the richest Americans, Europeans, and Asians on long haul flights pay zero enviro taxes, Europe’s most price sensitive passengers and their families travelling on short-haul flights, many to the peripheral Member States such as Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus, and who have no alternative to flying, are forced to pay all of Europe’s ETS taxes, while they generate less than half of EU aviation emissions. This is clearly unfair.”

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