Criticism of traffic light plans
Aviation industry: increase in ticket tax comes too early
January 15, 2024, 6:16 p.m
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According to the federal government’s plans, higher tax rates for airline tickets will apply from May. Criticism comes from the airlines. Because many tickets for the summer have already been sold. The industry warns that airlines are in danger of being stuck with the costs.
The airline industry is resisting a rapid increase in ticket taxes. Many flights for the summer have already been sold, said the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL). The higher tax rates per ticket planned by the federal government from May 1st would therefore come too early and should be postponed until later in the year. If there is a subsequent tax increase on tickets that have already been sold, companies would probably have to bear the additional costs.
The industry association once again complained about negative consequences for the already high location costs in Germany. They led to a lower number of connections, for example in the important economic regions around Stuttgart, North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin-Brandenburg. The international hubs Frankfurt and Munich would also be weakened.
The aviation tax introduced in 2011 brought the state almost 1.2 billion euros in revenue in 2022. Depending on the final destination of the flight, between 12.48 euros and 56.91 euros per ticket are currently due, which the providers usually pass on to the passengers. The federal government now wants to generate additional revenue from the tax to a level that will compensate for the waiver of the initially planned national kerosene tax. From May 1st, the rates should be between 15.53 and 70.83 euros according to the previous proposals.
The ecological modernization of fleets and the decarbonization of fuels would be more difficult to achieve if companies were deprived of their earning power and investment power, criticized the BDL. In addition, the federal government wants to drastically reduce funding for sustainable fuels in the new budget for 2024 and thereafter. Compared to the original draft, there was a lack of commitment appropriations of more than two billion euros until 2028.