Global Policy Forum

By Edward Stephens

Passengers using Birmingham International Airport are to be asked to pay a voluntary flight tax to offset some of the damage to the environment being done by their flights. The voluntary flight tax tickets will be given out at the airport by Birmingham Friends of the Earth, which claims the aviation industry and its passengers do not pay for the damage they cause.

'It needs to be understood that air travel is really getting out of hand,' said Brett Rehling, a spokesman for the Birmingham branch of the organisation. 'We are not condemning it outright, just encouraging more responsible use. 'Airlines pay no tax on the fuel they use and this exception gives them an unfair advantage over less popular forms of transport, encouraging people to travel in the least environmentally friendly way. 'A tax, either on kerosene or on emission would create an incentive for airlines to conserve fuel and control emissions.

'People are in favour of paying a flight tax once they understand the situation, in fact so much so that some responsible travellers are already making voluntary payments.' The mock flight tickets which the group plans to give out at Birmingham airport explain the damage air travel does to the environment and gives arguments in favour of an aviation tax.

Voluntary

It then asks travellers to pay a voluntary tax that will be used to offset some of the environmental damage caused by their flights. Some of the tickets have been given out among environmental groups in the region and tax payments have started to roll in.

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