‘Air tax hike would hit poorest’
So says EasyJet in response to MPs clamoring for an airplane tax. But really, isn’t air travel, budget or otherwise, a luxury, not a necessity? Sure an air tax would make up a larger proprotion of a budget ticket than a luxury one, but honestly, it hardly seems like this is a case to worry that the poor might be getting gouged.
But could you imagine US politicians considering additional taxes in order to cut carbon dioxide emissions? Quelle horreur! What obviousy should be done is that jet fuel should be taxed, and it would have to be taxed worldwide to roughly equivalent rates to avoid airlines just flying their jets around for the lowest tax rates (obviously they would only have the incentive anyways to make minor detours for cheaper fuel). Currently the US has a 4.3¢ per gallon tax, while rates are similarly low, or even non-existent, in European countries. To give you an idea of how low the taxes are, according to the South Dakota DOT, “the per gallon Federal Motor Fuel Excise Tax is 18.4 cents on gasoline, 13.6 cents on LPG, 24.4 cents on diesel fuel, 18.4 cents on gasohol, 19.4 cents on aviation gas, and 4.4 cents on jet fuel.” In Wisconsin the state jet fuel tax is 6¢, while gasoline is taxed 28.5¢. Some small planes use normal automobile gasoline but even dealers of this fuel, for planes, get the lower rate, as long as they purchase at least 100 gallons.