A reduction of only 12% in these flights could lower global aviation emissions by as much as 50%. Through fair taxation, reducing frequent flying and opting for more sustainable alternatives like closer, train-accessible destinations, climate impacts can be significantly minimised in a targeted way, prioritising essential travel while avoiding unnecessary flights.
In 2024, the most polluting flights departing from Europe were all long-haul flights, such as the London-New York or Frankfurt-Shanghai routes. But, these flights arenât taxed at all.  Â
Long-haul flights not only emit CO2 emissions but also produce additional emissions: the most visible of these take the form of contrails, long cloudy strips. Also called ânon-CO2 emissionsâ, they warm the climate twice as much as do CO2 emissions. Avoiding a relatively small number of long-haul flights can thus have big benefits for the climate.
Taxing these flights based on distance, as is already done in the Netherlands, would allow this money to be invested in green technologies such as sustainable aviation fuels (particularly e-kerosene) and zero-emission aircraft. Travellers should avoid unnecessary long-haul flights and prioritise destinations accessible by rail or other low-emissions transport.Â