Résumé :
- The French government is increasing the tax on plane tickets to respond to environmental and fiscal issues.
- The tax could reach up to 60 euros per ticket depending on the type of flight.
- This measure should bring in an additional billion euros in 2024.
- French airlines fear a loss of competitiveness.
- NGOs welcome the approach, but believe that the measure remains insufficient.
The objectives of the new air tax
The introduction of this new tax has two main objectives. First of all, it aims to compensate for the ecological impact of flightsparticularly those operated over short distances. Many environmental NGOs denounce the environmental cost of air transport, which remains proportionately low compared to other means of transport.
Then, for the government it is a matter of generate an additional billion euros to finance ecological transition projects and public investments. Thus, the State intends to find a balance between economic profitability and ecological responsibility.
How the tax works: what increases to expect?
The amount of the Solidarity Tax on Airline Tickets (TSBA) will experience a significant increase, with a price of up to 60 euros extra per ticketespecially for long-haul or business class flights.
The government justifies these increases by need to tax more the most polluting trips. In addition, economy class passengers on short or national journeys will be less impacted, but they will not be completely spared from this tax increase.
Impacts on passengers and the airline sector
For passengers, this new tax will lead to a significant increase in the price of plane tickets, particularly on long journeys and more luxurious classes. This could dissuade some travelers from taking the plane, especially on routes where more ecological (but not necessarily less expensive) alternatives such as the train exist.
As for French airlines, they fear a loss of competitiveness compared to foreign companies which are not subject to the same taxes. This measure could therefore affect their attendance and compromise part of their activity.
A measure that is not unanimous
The airlines expressed their disagreement faced with this decision, fearing an erosion of their competitiveness. According to them, such a tax could encourage passengers to favor other means of transport or to choose flights operated by foreign companies. On the side of environmental associationsopinions are divided. If some welcome this initiativehowever, they judge that it remains insufficient in the face of climate challenges. They are calling for more radical measures to reduce the impact of air transport.
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