ACI EUROPE and Airlines for Europe slam “cash cow” treatment of aviation in Global Solidarity Levy Proposal
European airports and airlines have come out strongly against a new Global Solidarity Levy proposal to raise more money for development from air transport, calling it a deeply flawed and economically harmful measure that unfairly targets the aviation sector.
The proposal, developed by the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, seeks to generate up to €100 billion annually, with a major portion expected to come from new taxes on air travel – especially premium-class tickets. ACI EUROPE and A4E joined forces in slamming the proposal as it treats the sector as a convenient cash cow, despite its fragile recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and historically slim profit margins.
The airport and airline community jointly warned that imposing additional taxes under the guise of global solidarity would undermine Europe’s air connectivity, which is vital to economic development, regional cohesion, and a number of positive societal outcomes. Just in Europe, every 10% increase in air connectivity yields a 0.5% gain in GDP per capita, while also being associated with ‑14% in poverty, +9% in quality education, +19% in gender equality and +8.5% in research & development.
With European aviation committed to achieving net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050, the sector faces an estimated €1.3 trillion in required investments. Redirecting potential capital from the green transformation to tax coffers undermines this effort. Rather than supporting aviation’s decarbonisation agenda, the levy penalises it — a contradiction that makes climate and development goals harder, not easier, to reach.
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