Sweden Shows Favor to Newer Aircraft Through Take-Off and Landing Fees

Airlines operating newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft will pay fewer landing fees at Sweden’s two major airports. The nation is set to create incentives for carriers to go green with their operations, based on how much of their carbon footprint they can reduce.

Passenger-carrying aircraft at Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) or Gothenburg Landvetter Airport (GOT) that are either more fuel efficient or using biofuels could pay lower operational fees than older, traditional airframes Reuters reports Swedish aviation authorities are planning to change the take-off and landing fee schedule to incentivize a smaller carbon footprint.

Fee Structure based on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aircraft

Under the plan, airlines operating newer aircraft with better fuel efficiency ratings than older aircraft would pay fewer fees than older counterparts. Carriers who opt to use biofuels instead of traditional fossil fuels could also get a break on fees at both airports. While the government expects the airports and airlines to self-regulate the new plan, officials say they will create formal regulations if that does not work.

“The airline industry has to show that it is taking the climate issue seriously,” Swedish environment minister Per Bolund told a local newspaper, as quoted by Reuters. “And this is a way for politicians to push them and say that it is time they do their bit.”

Data from the Chalmers University of Technology suggests that Sweden contributed to 10 million tons of carbon emissions in 2017 through the aviation industry. This breaks down to roughly 1.1 tons per individual living in the Nordic country.

Carbon Emissions Continue to be Hot Topic Among Airlines

As the travel sector starts to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, the topic of carbon emissions continues to be a contentious topic among airlines and airports. Even though London Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kaye said airlines were not to blame for climate change in February 2020, JetBlue declared themselves a carbon-neutral airline in August 2020, based on domestic operations and offsetting programs.