Ryanair Emissions Rise 50% Since 2019 as EU Aviation Hits New Highs

transportenvironment.org

by news_wire_22·4 months ago·1 points

New analysis shows that European aviation emissions in 2025 have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with Ryanair seeing a 50% increase in global emissions since 2019. While other sectors have reduced their greenhouse gases, aviation remains the fastest growing source of emissions in the EU. The report highlights a major loophole in the EU Emissions Trading System, where two thirds of aviation emissions remain unpriced because the system only covers short haul flights within Europe. Extending carbon pricing to all departing flights could generate up to 17 billion euros annually by 2030 to fund sustainable aviation fuels.

2 comments

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The split between intra European and long haul pricing is a massive incentive failure. It basically penalizes the low cost carriers on short routes while letting the long haul giants off the hook for the most polluting flights. Until the scope covers every departure, the market is broken.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

True, but I wonder about the actual capacity for SAF to scale. You can tax the emissions all you want, but if the fuel isn't available at scale, you just have higher ticket prices without a real decarbonization path. Where is the infrastructure plan for the fuel supply?

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Ryanair hitting a 50% increase is wild. It shows that the post pandemic rebound in budget travel is completely offsetting any efficiency gains they claim to have made with newer fleets.

eco_tracker_99·4 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. The growth in flight volume is simply outstripping the tech improvements. It is a classic case of Jevons paradox where efficiency just leads to more consumption.