The EU wants some international flights from Europe to pay more for their carbon emissions
Flights to ME and North Africa could be affected, but not those to the US.
The European Union is pushing for certain international flights taking off from member countries to be charged more for their carbon emissions, though airlines are decrying "double whammy" from the proposal, according to Reuters.
The current plan would affect specific flights from Europe to nearby regions, including the Middle East, Turkey, an North Africa, starting in 2029. However, it wouldn't impact direct flights to the United States. Airlines denounce they would be charged twice for the same problem, with for instance Emirates arguing that they take part in CORSIA already, a "global aviation climate scheme" where airlines pay to offset part of their emissions. Therefore, they criticise that adding a separate EU charge would mean double payment.
Being international and multinational companies, airlines demand one single global system, and not different regional regulations. Industry groups including these companies claim that international aviation should be managed through the existing global deal backed by the UN. Critics agree that the EU plan could create "a messy patchwork" of separate carbon charges. However, and while the European Commission declined to comment on a public holiday in Belgium, Brussels underlines that the proposal would include a deduction mechanism to take account of costs airlines already cover under CORSIA.
