Hundreds of thousands of flights depart annually from Schiphol to destinations worldwide. Flying provides quick access to distant places for vacations or family visits. However, it also has disadvantages for the environment and public health, such as CO2 emissions and fine particles. Additionally, residents nearby experience noise pollution from airports.
To put a price on the negative effects of flying, an air travel tax has been in place since 2021. This tax is currently a fixed amount per passenger, meaning the same tax applies for flights to Bali and Italy. The cabinet wants to change this system to increase revenue by € 248 million per year.
Starting in 2027, long-distance flights with higher total emissions will be taxed more heavily. The Netherlands is following other European countries that have already implemented this. Research is currently being conducted into different variants of the air travel tax and the impacts of these measures. This includes looking at the effects on people, the environment, and the economy.
Public Consultation
The cabinet values public opinion on this tax. Therefore, a questionnaire has been created. Do you believe that longer flights should be taxed more than shorter ones? And should there be extra tax on very short flights, since alternatives like trains or cars are available?
From January 15 to February 26, 2025, you can respond to the questionnaire about distance-dependent air travel tax via internetconsultatie.nl.