Sweden's centre-right government announced on Tuesday that it will abolish the aviation tax added to ticket prices from next year. Politicians say the tax, which is intended to discourage passengers from flying, has made Swedish airports less competitive.
The special tax was introduced in 2018 by the Social Democratic and Green government to help achieve climate goals. According to Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Entrepreneurship Ebby Busch, most EU countries do not have an aviation tax, which puts Sweden in an unfavorable market situation. “For many companies and businesses, it is important to have convenient air connections,” Busch emphasized during the presentation of the budget for next year.
The tax was supposed to harm Swedish airports
Politicians from the ruling coalition, supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats, believe the tax has led to airlines canceling many long-haul flights from Sweden, while passengers looking for cheaper tickets use transfers, for example at Kastrup Airport in the capital DenmarkCopenhagen. In Sweden, the aviation tax currently amounts to 76 kroner (about 7 euros) per passenger for domestic and European flights, and 315 kroner (27 euros) or 504 kroner (44 euros) for long-haul flights. At the same time, estimates show that the abolition of the airport tax will increase carbon dioxide emissions by 110,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. For this reason, Green Party co-leader Amanda Lind criticized the abolition of the tax, calling it “irresponsible.”
Main image source: Jeppe Gustafsson/Shutterstock