Danish climate council calls for more expensive airline tickets

The Danish Climate Council on Wednesday called for higher airline ticket prices to encourage people to fly less and reduce the environmental impact of aviation, according to broadcaster DR.

Emphasizing the need to cut flights and accelerate green technologies in order to make aviation more climate neutral, the council said in a new report that passengers should pay more for air travel.

"In road transport we broadly know what it takes – electrification. Unfortunately, that is not the case in aviation, where all technological options come with different challenges,” said Climate Council chair Peter Mollgaard.

Mollgaard stressed the scale of the problem, pointing to the sector’s significant climate impact.

“It is not like an electric car just rolling in. This is a tougher nut to crack, and we do not see a single silver bullet,” said Marie Munster, a member of the Climate Council.

The council noted that flying is currently far too affordable when considering its climate costs at a societal level.

“So, it is a question of priorities. Do we want to pay more, or do we want to fly less,” said Munster adding: “It is obvious that there is a greater need for the polluter to pay.”