A new EU travel plan which was recently set out would see Irish tourists forking out more for their flights in a bid to lower carbon emissions substantially by 2030.
This is according to the ‘Flying towards a sustainable future’ report, which was created by the consultancy firm Deloitte.
It contains the ‘Fit for 55’ plan for the EU which claims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% before 2030 - but will mean flying to Spain and beyond will become more expensive.
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Fears are now being voiced locally over the potential effects of this because it will discourage tourists to take summer holidays.
The Deloitte report predicts that the measures included in the 'Fit for 55' package would result in a loss of 11 million international tourists to Spain.
Local reports say this will lead to a knock-on effect of losing the €12bn they would spend which would ultimately jeopardise around 430,000 jobs that rely on them.
Among the measures being considered is a possible ‘ticket tax’ that would add an extra €7.85 to the cost of plane tickets to Spain, and an obligation for airlines to use 5% sustainable aviation fuel, which is generally far more expensive than standard jet fuel - resulting in even higher costs for a ticket.
While it may not seem like €7.85 is a lot added on to current flight prices, this news comes weeks after Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary admitted that the days of cheap travel are over.
In an interview with the Financial Times back in July, he said: “It’s got too cheap for what it is. I find it absurd every time that I fly to Stansted, the train journey into central London is more expensive than the airfare."
He said the average Ryanair fare will realistically increase from €40 to between €50 and €60 in the medium term - but that the long term will see big changes.
“It has been my doing [making air travel cheap]. I made a lot of money doing it. But ultimately, I don’t believe air travel is sustainable over the medium term at an average fare of €40. It’s too cheap at that. But I think, you know, it will still be very cheap and affordable at €50 and €60," he explained.
There is currently no date forecast for when prices may skyrocket, but it seems likely it will rise alongside the cost of everything else in this cost of living crisis.
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