Danish air fares will get pricier due to a new green tax

The environmental fee will be gradually introduced from 2025 and its size will depend on the destination

Earlier today, the Danish government announced a proposal for the introduction of a new tax, which will be applicable to flights departing from and within the Nordic country. The aim of the proposed charge is to help finance the green transition of the Danish airline industry by 2030.

The tax will be progressively introduced, starting in 2025, and its size will depend on the distance travelled by the flight. For European-bound air journeys, this will be about 8.40 euros. However, for medium-distance flights, it can reach almost 32 euros, and for long-distance ones, about 52 euros in addition to the airfare.

It’s not very clear if the government is trying to discourage air travel, by making it less affordable with the new tax, however, the authorities have already estimated that the fee collection would bring in more than 16 million euros (DKK 1.2 billion) to the state coffers. This cash would go towards having

All domestic flights run on green fuels by 2030

In a country like Denmark, that could actually be achieved in this fairly short timeline due to its small size and the limited offer of internal flights, which are serviced by smaller aircraft.

If and when this is achieved, it could make Denmark the first country whose domestic aviation sector is entirely decarbonized.

The aviation sector in Denmark must – just like all other industries – reduce its climate footprint and move towards a green future," said Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard in a statement, quoted by Reuters.

What’s more, part of the funds accumulated from the new green tax will also go towards subsidies for senior citizens.

The air tax will undergo re-evaluation by the authorities in 2027.