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Flights to Spain could cost £150 more by 2050 under new UK climate proposals
The Climate Change Committee says airlines must pay to clean up their emissions if Heathrow expands, and passengers will likely foot the bill
If you fly regularly between Spain and the UK to visit family or friends, a new report from Britain's official climate advisory body will be worth paying attention to. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has recommended that if Heathrow Airport's long-debated third runway is approved, airlines must be required to fully fund the cost of cleaning up their own emissions. And those costs, the CCC acknowledges, will almost certainly be passed on to passengers.The estimates are specific. By 2050, a return flight to Alicante could cost around £150 more than it does today. A return trip to New York would see prices rise by approximately £400. These increases would be phased in gradually over 25 years, working out at roughly six to nine pence per mile, a rate the CCC compares to existing fuel duty on petrol and diesel.
The CCC's position is straightforward. Heathrow expansion, under current policies, is "not currently compatible" with the UK's legally binding target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The only way to make it compatible, the committee argues, is through a "polluter pays" framework, requiring airlines to fund greener alternatives such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and invest in industrial carbon-removal technologies.
Nigel Topping, chair of the CCC, put it plainly. "The government cannot expand Heathrow airport without requiring the aviation industry to clean up its emissions," he said. "The polluter-pays principle must apply."
Not everyone agrees that higher ticket prices are the right answer. Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy has been particularly vocal, warning that steep climate-driven taxes will turn foreign holidays into "the preserve of the rich." Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, was equally blunt: "You can't solve the climate crisis by pricing Britain out of the skies."
The figures on who currently flies do add some context to that debate. Only about half of people in England take a flight abroad in any given year, and around 80% of all international flights are taken by people who fly two or more times, roughly a quarter of the population. Those in the highest income bracket take four times as many flights as those in the lowest.
Aviation's carbon footprint has grown significantly. Passenger numbers have nearly tripled since 1990, reaching 300 million in 2025, and the sector now accounts for around 9% of the UK's total emissions, more than the entire electricity generation industry.
The UK government is not obliged to follow the CCC's advice, and has said only that any Heathrow expansion "would need to align with our net zero targets." It has committed £219 million to sustainable aviation fuel production and a further £43 million to cleaner aviation technologies.
For now, no decisions have been made. But if you're budgeting for flights home over the next decade, this conversation is one to keep an eye on.
Image: Dan Wright/Pexels
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