Despite the environmental damage caused by aviation emissions, moves are afoot to lift the passenger cap on Dublin Airport. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
Yes – Aoife O’Leary
The argument for why we need to tax the aviation sector can be summed up very simply: it’s a highly polluting sector that doesn’t pay its fair share.
Aviation greenhouse gas emissions amount to around 10 per cent of Ireland’s total and have increased 500 per cent since 1990, while the population grew just 44 per cent.
But to get the full picture, let’s start by looking at where aviation does pay. Every flight that leaves Ireland for another European destination is included in the EU (or UK) Emissions Trading System (ETS). This puts a cap on emissions for which airlines pay a price. This accounts for the €833 million Ryanair paid in environmental taxes in 2023.
However, Ryanair is the most polluting airline in Europe. And no airline in Europe pays a cent for the pollution on flights going outside of Europe – which account for 70 per cent of emissions. When aviation was originally added to the ETS, it included international flights.
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