Flights should increase by hundreds of pounds to meet Net Zero by decreasing demand, Government advisors say

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 19:01 EDT, 15 September 2026 | Updated: 19:16 EDT, 15 September 2026 Flights should increase by hundreds of pounds to meet Net Zero by decreasing demand, Government advisors have said.They estimated that £150 could be added to the cost of a family holiday to Alicante in Spain by 2050 to meet legally binding climate targets.The Climate Change Committee (CCC) also warned that there is ‘no credible pathway’ to building a third runway at Heathrow without reducing emissions.Ministers have given the go ahead to a proposal for a third runway at the airport, though Andy Burnham is among those who have raised concerns.But the CCC has warned that the UK ‘does not have a credible plan to reduce’ emissions from flying which is necessary to achieve Net Zero.Policies including using more efficient aircraft, improving flight paths and using sustainable aviation fuels need to be adopted, they said.This should be funded by the sector which would mean airlines would add the costs to the price of flights, the committee added.It means flight prices rising significantly over the next few decades which will also trigger a reduction in demand, they said. Flights should increase by hundreds of pounds to meet Net Zero by decreasing demand, Government advisors have said.‘The costs of reducing the sector’s emissions impact to Net Zero, whether through direct emissions reductions or using permanent engineered removals to offset ongoing emissions, are borne by the aviation industry,’ the report says.‘We assume these costs will be passed on to consumers through ticket prices. This in turn will both reduce demand growth and generate revenues, so that the same policy instrument both reduces the size of the problem and serves to fund solutions.’It estimates that policies to cut aviation emissions to net zero would add as much as £150 to a return flight to Alicante, Spain, by 2050, and £400 to a return flight to New York.Despite this, the committee found that while passengers thought the costs should go on airlines rather than taxation, they didn’t think families should be priced out of holidays abroad.This could mean the introduction of a frequent flyer tax for those who take multiple flights in a year, while creating an exception for flights within the UK.Chairman Nigel Topping said that emissions from flying had doubled in the UK since 1990, even as overall climate pollution had halved, and Heathrow was responsible for around half of the sector’s emissions.By 2050, aviation emissions will dwarf all other parts of the economy, and Heathrow expansion alone would produce more emissions than any other sector, he said.‘Ultimately, the polluter pays principle must apply. If aviation is to grow, it must take responsibility for the emissions it creates,’ he added.‘Expansion can only be compatible with the UK’s climate commitments if the sector is required to manage and pay for the full cost of reaching net zero.’But the airline industry called for the transition to Net Zero to be affordable, saying airlines were already investing billions in new aircraft, sustainable aviation fuel and airspace upgrades.A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘Any expansion proposal would need to align with our net zero targets.‘We're investing £219 million in sustainable aviation fuel production and a further £43 million in cleaner technologies to support greener aviation, while expansion could deliver around £40 billion to the economy and support up to 60,000 local jobs.‘We will carefully consider CCC’s advice along with all responses received to the Heathrow expansion consultation.’