The skies over Europe are getting busier and more polluted, despite the industry's grand promises to go green. Ryanair, Europe's fastest-growing airline, has seen its carbon footprint soar by 50% since 2019, reaching a staggering 16.6 megatonnes of CO₂ in 2025. This is more than the annual emissions of a small European country like Croatia! And it's not just Ryanair; the entire European aviation sector is on an emissions rampage, with a 2% increase in 2025 compared to pre-pandemic levels. What's even more concerning is that this surge in emissions comes despite the introduction of more fuel-efficient planes and the industry's pledges to decarbonize. So, what's the deal? Well, it turns out that the low-cost carriers are driving this growth, and the emissions trading system (ETS) is falling short. The ETS, designed to manage environmental costs, only includes flights entirely within Europe, leaving long-haul flights on legacy carriers' aircraft, which burn more fuel, outside its scope. This means that while Ryanair pays an average of €50 per tonne of carbon, Lufthansa pays only about €20. And get this: London-New York traffic alone generated nearly 1.4Mt of CO₂ in 2025, but it's not even part of the ETS! Now, here's where it gets interesting. The aviation industry is lobbying to suspend or weaken the ETS and other taxes, claiming that the carbon market costs are negligible compared to fuel volatility. But, in my opinion, this is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. The truth is, ticket prices are rising because of Europe's reliance on fossil fuels, not because of the climate measures intended to steer the sector away from them. The industry's growth is displacing air travel on less-efficient legacy airlines, but it's still burning more fuel and emitting more CO₂. So, what's the solution? Well, Transport & Environment (T&E) wants the carbon market extended to all departing flights to raise more public revenue and accelerate aviation's slow decarbonization. They argue that this could quadruple the €4.1bn raised for EU states by 2030 and fund the production of sustainable aviation fuel and measures to avoid contrails, which could exacerbate global heating. But, personally, I think it's time to stop subsidizing fossil fuel dependency and start investing in the future of a sustainable aviation sector. The industry needs to clean up its act, and the ETS needs to be extended to all flights to ensure that the sky isn't the limit for emissions.
