French tax plan on airports threatens decarbonisation plans, says ACI Europe

French plan to tax airports threatens decarbonisation plans, connectivity and competitiveness

ACI EUROPE urged the French Government to reconsider its plan to add an additional tax on the revenues earned by the airports of Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse. Proposed as part of the 2024 Finance Law, the tax would reduce the capacity of these airports to finance their ambitious decarbonisation plans, aiming to achieve net zero for CO2 emissions under their control between 2026 and 2030. It also risks impacting their competitive position and their connectivity – with negative repercussions for their local economy.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE said: “this is yet another initiative from the French Government targeting aviation and labelled as ecological – but which would in fact hit both decarbonisation efforts and the economy. Squeezing airports that are leading decarbonisation efforts for tax revenue is ill-advised and amounts to policy greenwashing. Achieving net zero for European aviation will require more than €820 billion in investments across the entire eco-system comprising aircraft manufacturers, airlines, airports and air navigation service providers. Further taxing the sector will only make such investments more difficult and threatens our shared goals.”