Budget Airlines, like Europe’s EasyJet, complain that they’re carrying the burden of concern about air travel’s environmental impact. EasyJet’s Chief Executive Andy Harrison argues that taxes should be based on the efficiency of planes and the distance traveled rather than being a per-passenger duty, claiming that budget airlines’ fleets are newer and thus more efficient than traditional airlines.
While I don’t think that budget airlines alone should be charged with “ruining the planet,” I do think it’s difficult to ignore the impact of cheap and quick airfare on less environmentally-damaging overland travel, like rail. That’s not necessarily the airlines’ fault though — they’re simply meeting travelers’ demands.
What do you think?