Sweden intends to annul the levy on airline tickets, advocating for an eco-friendly approach.
Sweden's administration has declared its intention to annihilate the levy on airline fares. Beginning July 1, 2025, this charge will cease to exist, as conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson shared during a Tuesday press conference. He explained this decision as essential for bolstering the Swedish airlines' market prowess. Kristersson asserted that this move aligns with long-term climate policy and continues to facilitate "travel in an expansive nation".
This tax was implemented in 2018 by the previous ruling center-left administration. Its amount is contingent upon the distance traveled. Ebba Busch, the Minister of Economy, noted that only a small fraction of EU countries impose an air travel tax. Countries like Germany, where the tax was augmented by approximately 25% in May, are part of this list. The German Air Transport Association had criticized this increase, citing it as the primary reason for Germany's slower recovery of passenger air traffic from the coronavirus crisis compared to other European countries.
Upon assuming power in 2022, Kristersson's minority government displaced the Social Democrats in Sweden. His administration, which relies on the backing of the far-right Sweden Democrats in parliament, initially pledged to slash the air travel levy in half - however, it will now be entirely eliminated.
Eco-activist groups voiced their displeasure. According to Daniel Kihlberg of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, relaying to "Aftonbladet" newspaper, the government is "wholly abandoning" its climate policy. As early as March, the Swedish Climate Council - a government advisory body - had warned that the administration's actions, including a reduced fuel tax, were potentially jeopardizing Sweden's climate targets.
The decision to eliminate the air travel levy by Sweden's conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was a shift from the policy implemented by the previous administration in 2018. This levy, which was dependent on the distance traveled, was criticized by a fraction of EU countries for imposing such a tax on air travel.
Following the announcement in 2022, eco-activist groups expressed concern that the entirely eliminated levy would abandon Sweden's climate policy, as warned by the Swedish Climate Council earlier in March.
