Status: 16.01.2024, 15:00 PM
By: Franziska Kaindl
CommentsPrint Share
The German government wants to increase the aviation tax this year in order to plug the budget hole. In the end, the costs will probably be borne by the travelers.
Since the end of corona-related travel restrictions, prices for airline tickets have risen enormously: According to the Federal Statistical Office, travelers paid almost 2023 percent more for international flights in the first half of 25 than in the same period last year. This year, however, holidaymakers will probably have to dig even deeper into their pockets: The federal government wants to increase the ticket tax on flights from May 1, after the plan for a so-called kerosene tax was rejected. In this way, the billion-dollar hole in the budget is to be plugged.
How much should the ticket tax be increased?
Airfares could rise again from 1 May. © Yuri Arcur/Imago
The so-called aviation tax was introduced in 2011 and can be passed on by the airlines to the ticket prices. The amount of the tax depends on the distance between Germany's largest commercial airport – Frankfurt am Main – and the respective largest commercial airport in the destination country. The longer the route, the higher the ticket tax. In 2023, it was €13.03 per passenger for a flight within Europe. For medium distances of up to 6,000 kilometres, a ticket tax of 33.01 euros was assessed. For a long-haul flight to the USA or Australia, on the other hand, 59.43 euros per passenger were added.
The Federal Government's draft Budget Financing Act provides for the following increases in the aviation tax:
- 15.53 euros for intra-European flights
- 39.34 euros for medium distances
- 70.83 euros for long-distance flights
You don't want to miss any more news and tips about holidays and travel?
Then sign up for the regular travel newsletter of our partner Merkur.de.
How will a higher aviation tax affect ticket prices?
Airlines are expected to pass on the higher ticket tax to consumers. If you then book a flight in Germany, you will most likely have to shell out more money than before. So far, air travellers who have only changed planes in Germany and children under the age of three have been exempt if they did not have their own seat, as the portal Reisereporter reports. Those who have already booked their tickets for travel after May 1 will be spared, as a retroactive price increase is likely to be difficult.
My news
Fancy a day trip? Ten picturesque villages in GermanyRead more
Europe's best campsites 2024 chosen – three of the top 10 are in Germanyread
Flight attendant codes: What a "Servus" means when boardingread
Cruise junkie reveals: Five cost traps you can do without on boardread
Children's passport is on the brink of extinction: what parents need to apply for insteadread more
Holidays without tourist crowds: Five destinations for 2024 that are still insider tipsread
The Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL) criticized the plans of the federal government and called for a postponement of the increase in the ticket tax, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa). A retrospective increase in taxes on airline tickets already sold for the summer would mean that companies would have to bear the additional costs on their own. In addition, the location costs in Germany are already higher than in other countries.
Planned increase in ticket tax: Is it still possible to save on airline tickets?
If you want to save some money on airline tickets in the future, you could – if possible – switch to other nearby airports outside Germany. Only flights departing from this country are affected by the increased ticket tax.