The French government supports the idea of imposing higher taxes on private jets in 2023 by bringing aviation fuel levies in line with those for cars, the country’s Environment Minister Christophe Bechu said on Saturday.
Speaking on the franceinfo radio station, Bechu said that his government backs an amendment to the 2023 tax bill, leveled by President Emmanuel Macron’s political bloc, which would impose tougher tax rules on private jet emissions.
Transport Minister Clément Beaune had previously pitched more rigorous regulation for private jet travel in Europe, floating the idea of additional tax measures on the aviation sector, which he claimed benefits from a “more favorable tax regime” than other modes of transport.
In early September, MPs from the far-left La France Insoumise party had jockeyed for an outright ban on the use of all private jets in the country, amid concerns over increasing fuel costs for consumers. The French Green party also favors a total ban on the transport.
The issue garnered further public attention in France after top soccer outfit Paris Saint-Germain faced criticism for having chartered a private jet for a short journey to the western city of Nantes in September. Using high-speed rail, the trip would normally take under two hours.