The era of low-cost air travel in Europe may be over for good, thanks in part to recent EU environmental policies. All in all, this is good news for the climate. But many low- and middle-income people who used to travel around the EU will no longer be able to do so, or at least will be able to do so much less often. Yet the same policies will have little or no impact on the use of much more polluting private jets, which typically cover distances served by commercial airlines and trains. This is a case of unfair sacrifice for climate action. Addressing this injustice should be a top priority for the next EU legislative term if a just and inclusive climate transition is to be achieved.
Rising prices…
According to data from the European Commission, intra-EU airfares last summer were on average between 20% and 30% higher than they had been before Covid-19. The main reasons are high consumer demand, rising fuel costs and disrupted supply chains – the latter two at least partly due to the geopolitical turmoil of recent years.
