The airline industry has become the “whipping boy” when comparing which sectors produce the most carbon emissions, and it must lobby the government to ensure it does not get overly taxed, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive Steve Heapy warned.
Speaking on a Travel Weekly webcast, Heapy said the airline industry has got a “raw deal” as the general public believes the levels of CO2 it emits are 10 times higher than in reality.
He referenced a survey which asked members of the public what percentage of global CO2 emissions were caused by the airline industry and said the average answer was 22%, adding that it is actually 2.4%, “so there’s a real mismatch between perception and reality”.
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He warned the airline industry must be “very careful in the future” to ensure it doesn’t get landed with “more than its share of taxation”.
“The airline industry is very much derided by members of the green lobby as being the major contributor,” he said. “Crop burning, construction and livestock farming emit much more carbon dioxide than air travel does but you wouldn’t think it looking at the news.
“The government, not only here but in European countries, continues to increase taxes [on the airline industry] in the name of sustainability and all it’s doing is putting the cost of flying and holidays up and up and up.
“If prices continue to go up because of increased taxation, it automatically follows that demand would drop.
“We’re asking the government to have a very sensible approach to sustainability and not just keep taxing customers and asking them to pay more because that just becomes demand management and the policy of the government therefore becomes to reduce demand to make flying something for the rich and privileged and that can’t happen.”
He added: “The airline industry is a force for good and I’m very proud to work in and represent it.”