The travel industry should prepare for “a congestion charge of the skies”, according to environmental lobby group AirportWatch.
The group’s head, Jeff Gazzard, told the Institute of Travel and Tourism conference in Gran Canaria: “I don’t want to put you out of business, but to make you and your customers pay for the damage you cause.
“The carbon dioxide emissions from aviation are more than from the whole of the UK economy – the fourth-largest in the world – and growing.
“Improvements in efficiency and technology will be outpaced by traffic growth and green taxes are key to reducing the gap. They would cut your growth rates but still allow you to be profitable.”
Gazzard suggested a tax on fares of 3.6p per kilometre would raise £10 billion a year for emissions-reduction projects and reduce the growth in UK passenger numbers from the projected 480 million in 2030 to 330 million. That would still represent growth from the 235 million in 2006.
“It is the only way to allow the industry to continue in business,” said Gazzard.
He dismissed the idea this would prevent people on lower incomes flying, saying: “The average income of those flying on low-cost airlines from Stansted is £50,000.”