Sweden’s Tidö parties propose abolishing air travel tax amid climate debate

The previous Swedish government introduced an air travel tax in 2018 to mitigate the climate impact of aviation. Parties within the ruling coalition, known as the Tidö parties, as well as airlines, have argued that the tax negatively affects Sweden’s competitiveness. They are now proposing to abolish the air travel tax.

“We are abolishing it; we are simply removing it,” said Linda Lindberg, group leader for the Sweden Democrats, during a press briefing. “Sweden relies on a competitive aviation industry; businesses and individuals need air travel, especially for domestic transportation.”

As the Tidö parties convened at Harpsund, the tax was identified as a potential source of conflict in budget discussions. “The main disagreement lies between the Sweden Democrats and the Liberals concerning climate and environmental policy, including disputes over the air travel tax,” stated Mats Knutson, a political commentator.

Romina Pourmokhtari, the Minister for Climate and Environment, has previously expressed her opposition to the removal of the tax. Instead, she advocates for Sweden to align its climate policies with those of the European Union. “We need more integrated climate policies with other EU countries for them to be effective. Only then will aviation truly bear its costs,” she noted in April.

As budget formulations progress, the debate over the air travel tax highlights the tensions within the coalition regarding climate action and economic strategy.