Plane tickets: the Minister of Transport pleads for a minimum charge in Europe

The French Minister of Transport Clément Beaune wants “the established order of a minimal fee of the plane price tag” in Europe as a way to “fight against social and environmental dumping”, in an interview with L’Obs on Wednesday.

This “idea” might be submitted to his opposite numbers within the European Union “within the days to come back”, he introduced. “Plane tickets at 10 euros, at a time of ecological transition, this is not feasible! This does not reflect the price for the planet, ”he said, in an allusion to sure pricing guidelines of low-price agencies.

These name expenses do now not cowl the real cost in step with passenger of air journey, which emits a ways more greenhouse gases than the teach.

Taxes to finance rail investments

“I fully expect the taxation of polluting sports to spend money on this ecological transition”, he justifies, even as the government already intends to increase the so-known as “unity” tax making use of to all flights departing from France in order to finance investments in railways.

Additional taxes on aircraft tickets however also highway agencies must be covered in France’s 2024 price range.

The authorities consequently needs to tax the “surplus profits” of highway concession companies. In its sights: the two French agencies Eiffage and Vinci, but additionally the Spanish Abertis, which function among them a totally huge part of the toll road network. Three are already polishing their guns and threatening to raise prices.