Europe's largest airlines including Air France-KLM, British Airways-owner IAG, Lufthansa, and Ryanair have warned the European Commission that expanding the EU Emissions Trading System to cover international flights will raise ticket prices. In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the CEOs argued the move would penalize passengers and businesses by increasing airfare and cargo costs. The EU is reviewing whether to extend the ETS beyond intra-European flights to cover all departures from the bloc. Airlines say this would undermine the UN's CORSIA offset scheme for international aviation. The Commission counters that CORSIA alone may not deliver real emissions cuts and that extending the ETS ensures equal treatment among carriers. The debate highlights the tension between regional carbon pricing and global offset mechanisms in aviation decarbonization.
