EasyJet, a low cost airline proposes a change in taxes for airlines. EasyJet wants the tax system to be supportive for airlines with a greener approach to the transport and they have launched a campaign to convince politicians that Air Passenger Duty (APD) should be replaced with a tax based on aircraft types and the distance traveled.
The company highlights in its report “Towards greener skies: the surprising truth about flying and the environment” that:
- aviation creates 1.6% of global greenhouse gases
- today"s aircraft are typically 70% cleaner and 75% quieter than their 1960s counterparts
- successive improvements in aviation technology could make flying 50% cleaner than today"s aircraft within 10 years and 75% cleaner by 2050.
What more, the report complains: "Approximately 40% of UK aviation activity is exempt (freight, private jets and transfer passengers) – APD taxes families, but not private jets." The fact is that APD is a flat rate so a passenger going to Marrakech pays the same as one going to Melbourne. EasyJet itself flies shorter routes than many airlines. Chief executive of EasyJet Andy Harrison, said: "The time has come to scrap APD in its current form and replace it with a "polluter tax" that has at its heart a very simple notion – those that fly on airlines that pollute less, like EasyJet, should pay less. The CEO also said: "We should all demand a more intelligent approach to flying. Politicians must motivate the consumers to take the greener option when it is available – this means banning the dirty, old aircraft from our skies; getting the right tax regime in place to reward cleaner behavior; being realistic about the value of aviation and resisting the temptation to advocate alternatives when no such alternatives exist."