The government wants climate-smart aviation to be rewarded, including with lower take-off and landing fees.
The Swedish Transport Agency is now tasked with investigating whether and how the fees can be varied more than what is already being done.
– We want to reduce the climate impact of aviation. Sweden is to become the world's first fossil-free welfare country, and then we want to explore the possibility of further differentiation of take-off and landing fees, based on environmental performance and not least the use of biofuel, says Minister of Infrastructure Tomas Eneroth (S).
Today, differentiated environmentally-friendly take-off and landing fees are already used at Arlanda and Landvetter airports with over five million passengers per year.
Clearer environmental management
The Swedish Transport Agency will now be tasked with investigating whether more airports can be covered by the environmental fees. The agency will also review whether larger differences in fees can be introduced between different aircraft types and flights, depending on, among other things, the plane's environmental performance and use of biojet fuel.
The Swedish Transport Agency will also analyze how the fees can be used to stimulate alternative ways of arriving and departing that can reduce fuel consumption. Eneroth hopes that the assignment will lead to clearer environmental management.
”Must change”
TT: Isn't it more effective to encourage people to choose other means of transport or to reduce flying, rather than encouraging climate-smart flying?
– We are also doing that – we are making the largest railway investment in modern times. We have a development where we are moving much more goods onto both rail and sea transport. Of course, it is about stimulating alternatives, but also about aviation, which is needed in Sweden, having to change, says Eneroth.
The January Agreement, the substantive policy agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberals, states that the climate impact from aviation will be reduced, including by developing a proposal for environmentally friendly take-off and landing fees. The assignment is part of the implementation of the January Agreement.
The Swedish Transport Agency must report on the assignment no later than March 31 of next year.
Source: TT
