Topics & Positions
Aviation
Air transport of the future: Sustainable and affordable
High government taxes, airport and air traffic control charges increase the cost of air travel in Germany – even for well-deserved annual holidays. At the same time, the industry is facing the challenge of reducing CO₂e emissions and becoming more sustainable. Our approach is to minimise CO₂e emissions by continuously investing in new and lower-emission aircraft. We want to use sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), reduce emissions to a minimum and continue to make affordable holidays possible in the future. To achieve this, we need clear framework conditions and reliable political support.
High costs jeopardize location – and make family holidays more expensive
The development of Germany as an aviation location has been extremely worrying since the years of the coronavirus crisis. While air traffic in other European countries has long since recovered beyond pre-coronavirus levels, Germany is stagnating with a seat capacity of just 91 per cent compared to 2019 and increasingly falling further behind.
One of the main reasons for this is the excessive taxes and charges. German air traffic has to bear burdens that would be unthinkable elsewhere: Aviation security fees, for example, rose by up to 50 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year – the cap was raised to 15 euros per passenger in January. Air traffic control is facing an increase of 40 per cent. Added to this is the aviation tax. These costs make air travel significantly more expensive and put German airports and airlines at a disadvantage in international competition. The development affects travelers directly: rising ticket prices make family holidays more expensive than they need to be – and limit the variety of travel options. That is why we are calling on politicians:
- Aviation tax: It must be abolished as a major cause of the high costs. Countries such as Sweden have already taken this step.
- Aviation security: Security is a top priority and an important public interest. The federal government should therefore contribute more to the costs of aviation security personnel for passenger and baggage checks. In addition, the upper fee limit for security checks must be reduced to a competitive level.
- Air traffic control: In order to effectively reduce air traffic control charges, pro rata state funding should be considered. Germany should also follow the example of other European countries that have partially compensated for pandemic-related losses in air traffic control revenue with funds from the state budget.
Climate protection in aviation
When you travel, you leave a carbon footprint. Air travel accounts for around three per cent of global CO₂ emissions. This gives rise to responsibility. This is why policy-makers and the aviation industry have been working for years to reduce the climate impact of air travel. For example, European aviation has been included in EU emissions trading alongside the energy industry and energy-intensive industries since 2012. Emissions trading ensures that the aforementioned economic sectors reduce their CO₂e emissions over time. To this end, the amount of CO₂e certificates in the EU will gradually decrease by 62 per cent (previously 43 per cent) by 2030 compared with 2005 levels – this is what the European Parliament decided in April 2023 in the course of the reform of the EU emissions trading system. In global air traffic, on the other hand, the CO₂ compensation and reduction instrument CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) of the UN aviation organisation ICAO takes effect. Airlines have to pay for growth-related emissions – almost 80 per cent of international air traffic is currently covered. The funds then flow into ICAO-certified climate protection projects.
Composition of Global CO₂ Emissions
Reducing emissions in a science-based and transparent way
These international regulatory frameworks do not exempt companies from reducing emissions on their own. That is why the TUI Group submitted detailed CO₂e reduction plans to the independent NGO Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) particularly for our airlines – which are responsible for 75 per cent of our Group-wide emissions. The SBTi has reviewed and verified our reduction targets. Our goal by 2030 is to significantly increase the carbon efficiency of our airlines by 24 per cent CO₂e compared to 2019 and to reach the Group-wide net zero target by 2050 at the latest.
Expand pioneering role
TUI Airline, the association of five TUI airlines, was among the first airlines whose reduction targets were reviewed and verified by the SBTi. In order to achieve our goals, we are firstly focusing on renewing our fleet with more emission-efficient aircraft. Secondly, we are taking operational measures: we are continuously improving our flight planning and optimizing our fuel management system. In 2024, the CO₂e emissions per passenger per kilometre of our airlines fell by 6.7 per cent compared to 2019. The third lever for achieving the reduction targets is sustainable aviation fuels.
Challenge: SAF
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) directly reduce CO₂ emissions. One problem, however, is availability. SAF producers are currently unable to meet the growing demand. The EU mandate to blend kerosene with SAF also places an additional financial burden on European airlines. SAF is three to five times more expensive than ordinary kerosene. We are driving this key issue forward to make more sustainable travel of the future possible. We are partnering with various companies for the production and supply of SAF, for example with the Spanish energy company Cespa. Such partnerships will help to increase the availability of more sustainable, non-fossil fuels – an important step towards more sustainable flying. Nevertheless, the SAF ramp-up also requires political support.
Building up capacity for more sustainable air travel
Policymakers can further improve the framework conditions for more CO₂e-efficient flying:
- Reducing distortions of competition: Since 1 January 2025, fuel refuelled at EU airports must contain two per cent SAF. The additional costs for flights from Germany alone amount to 300 to 400 million euros per year. At the same time, the blending mandate must be supplemented by subsidisation approaches for the production and use of SAF. Otherwise, European airlines will be at a competitive disadvantage compared to their non-European competitors who are not subject to similar SAF mandates.
- Implementing PtL blending quota across the EU: Power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels are essential for the more sustainable aviation of the future. EU-wide blending quotas are a good approach to stimulate the market. However, stricter quotas than those envisaged by the EU will apply in Germany from 2026. This special regulation, which is both unrealistic and counterproductive, must be cancelled as electricity-based e-fuels are not yet available.
- Reforming Single European Sky: Europe's air traffic control continues to be inefficient and force longer than necessary flightpaths and detours. The reform of the Single European Sky (SES) must be resolutely pursued by the EU Commission. Harmonisation could save up to ten per cent of European aviation CO₂ emissions.