1. Aviation enjoys unfair tax privileges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nYou might have heard colourful slogans from low-cost airlines like \u201cNothing beats a cheap-flight holiday!\u201d <\/em>but the reality is the planet is paying the extra cost of cheap flight tickets. Polluting air travel is subsidised and it’s the biggest contributor to transport emissions.<\/a> Aviation fuel remains untaxed across most of Europe. This mode of transport enjoys several financial benefits like:<\/p>\n\n\n- No tax on jet fuel (kerosene)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- No VAT on international flight tickets while trains in many countries must charge full VAT.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Low airport fees and government subsidies, especially for budget airlines flying out of regional airports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Billions in public bailouts seen especially during COVID, when airlines across Europe were operating empty or near-empty flights in order to retain valuable take-off and landing slots at airports.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
![\"Paris-Charles](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/08\/a821e870-gp1suedx.jpg\" "\\"Paris-Charles")
Air France aircrafts parks at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. \u00a9 Lorraine Turci \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n2. Green travel gets penalised<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nTrain trips can cost up to 26 times more than flights, as the most extreme example found shows: Barcelona to London costs just \u20ac14.99 by plane, compared to \u20ac389 by train. The current system is making climate-friendly travel harder.<\/strong> Unlike aviation, rail operators are charged with:<\/p>\n\n\n- Energy taxes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- VAT in many countries<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- High infrastructure fees<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Track access fees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
The problems don\u2019t stop at pricing, for people with reduced mobility, train travel can be even more inaccessible as rail networks are left with crumbling infrastructure and fewer connections because of underfunding and neglect.
<\/p>\n\n![\"Public](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/08\/6738687b-gp1sxmms.jpg\" "\\"Public")
In June, July and August 2022, everyone can use local public transport throughout Germany for 9 euros a month. The 9-Euro-Ticket is valid on all means of public transport (such as RB, RE, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus, streetcar).\n\nPassengers at Hamburg Central Station.<\/figcaption> \u00a9 Gesche J\u00e4ger \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n3. Tax and climate injustice <\/strong><\/h2>\n\nWhen you have to decide between a \u20ac15 flight and a \u20ac300 train ticket for the same day journey, it\u2019s not a fair choice. What may seem like consumer freedom or cost preferences is a system of distorted prices, tax injustice, and political inaction. Most people are inclined to choose flights not because they want to, but because they\u2019re being steered to that option by a system that has quietly made green travel the more expensive and inaccessible option.
<\/p>\n\n
What needs to change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nAs the world grapples with record wildfires, droughts and heatwaves, aligning transport pricing with climate objectives is essential. Governments need to stop rewarding pollution<\/strong>. We are calling for climate tickets, fair pricing and a tax on the super-rich<\/a> to fund better rail services.<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- No tax on jet fuel (kerosene)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- No VAT on international flight tickets while trains in many countries must charge full VAT.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Low airport fees and government subsidies, especially for budget airlines flying out of regional airports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Billions in public bailouts seen especially during COVID, when airlines across Europe were operating empty or near-empty flights in order to retain valuable take-off and landing slots at airports.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Air France aircrafts parks at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. \u00a9 Lorraine Turci \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n2. Green travel gets penalised<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
Train trips can cost up to 26 times more than flights, as the most extreme example found shows: Barcelona to London costs just \u20ac14.99 by plane, compared to \u20ac389 by train. The current system is making climate-friendly travel harder.<\/strong> Unlike aviation, rail operators are charged with:<\/p>\n\n
- \n
- Energy taxes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- VAT in many countries<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- High infrastructure fees<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Track access fees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
The problems don\u2019t stop at pricing, for people with reduced mobility, train travel can be even more inaccessible as rail networks are left with crumbling infrastructure and fewer connections because of underfunding and neglect.
<\/p>\n\nIn June, July and August 2022, everyone can use local public transport throughout Germany for 9 euros a month. The 9-Euro-Ticket is valid on all means of public transport (such as RB, RE, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus, streetcar).\n\nPassengers at Hamburg Central Station.<\/figcaption> \u00a9 Gesche J\u00e4ger \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n3. Tax and climate injustice <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
When you have to decide between a \u20ac15 flight and a \u20ac300 train ticket for the same day journey, it\u2019s not a fair choice. What may seem like consumer freedom or cost preferences is a system of distorted prices, tax injustice, and political inaction. Most people are inclined to choose flights not because they want to, but because they\u2019re being steered to that option by a system that has quietly made green travel the more expensive and inaccessible option.
<\/p>\n\nWhat needs to change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
As the world grapples with record wildfires, droughts and heatwaves, aligning transport pricing with climate objectives is essential. Governments need to stop rewarding pollution<\/strong>. We are calling for climate tickets, fair pricing and a tax on the super-rich<\/a> to fund better rail services.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Action](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/08\/5a12e10f-gp0su44sa.jpg\" "\\"Action")