Analysis of UK aviation emissions by Transport & Environment (T&E) has found that aviation emissions are on track to return to pre-pandemic levels. Many budget airlines are now emitting more than they ever have and 32 Mt of CO2 was emitted. Compared to 2022, the number of flights increased by 16 per cent and the number of emissions from those flights rose by 23 per cent.

The UK is fast-approaching pre-pandemic levels of flying as 2023 saw 88 per cent of 2019 flight numbers, and 89 per cent of its CO2 emissions. The Jet Zero Strategy committed to never crossing 2019 pollution levels again.

The analysis shows that budget airlines seem to be driving this return to record emissions. While British Airways remains the highest polluter overall producing 7.52 Mt CO2 in 2023, their emissions are still below 2019 levels. On the other hand, Ryanair, easyJet, and Jet2.com emitted 13.5 per cent, 4.8 per cent and 26.3 per cent more than their 2019 emissions respectively.

Despite the Government reaffirming its commitment to the polluter pays principle last year, airlines do not have to pay for the vast majority of carbon pollution they are emitting, through either the UK emissions trading scheme (UK ETS), or through fuel duty. This is the exact opposite to the nation’s farmers, car drivers, rail operators and HGV owners, who all have to pay some duty on the fuel they burn.

The UK ETS treats different airlines in different ways, and this means that some airlines are treated unfairly. The average price per tonne of carbon emitted that is paid by airlines varies wildly. Wizz Air paid £34.23 per tonne, whilst Virgin Atlantic, unbelievably, paid nothing. This variation is for the simple reason that the UK ETS only applies to flights departing to somewhere else in the UK, or somewhere in the European Economic Area or Switzerland.

T&E wants the UK to establish a more effective carbon pricing policy by introducing a kerosene tax and extending the carbon market (the UK ETS) to all departing flights.

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