THE boss of Jet2 has warned that holidaymakers should expect airfares to continue to rise – due to new environmental restrictions.
Although plane ticket prices are at an all-time low, thanks to travel bans and a decrease in passengers, they will likely rise again after Covid and remain that way.
Airlines such as Ryanair offered flights for as little as £5 during the pandemic – although the cheap deals are unlikely to be around for much longer.
Steve Heapy, the Jet2 boss, stated that this was due to climate changes and the expected barrage in environmental taxes, legislation, and other related costs over ten years.
He said: “I think a lot of things in life are going to become more expensive and we’ve got to accept that that will be the case.”
Mr. Heapy’s main concern was that governments could impose consumption taxes on airlines, potentially hurting demand and making air travel accessible largely to the wealthy.
Also, low-emission bio-based fuels can be scarce and may cost three times as much as kerosene. This, along with the threat from new flying taxes, could cause problems for airlines.
“We’ve got to be seen as an industry to be taking the right steps to decarbonize as quickly as possible,” He urged Britain to invest more in sustainable aviation fuels.
However, he also said that demand will return to pre-COVID levels despite rising environmental consciousness and “flight shaming,” referring to social pressure to avoid flying over emissions concerns.
Jet2 has seen an increase in bookings this winter and for summer 2022 since Britain relaxed travel regulations earlier this month.
“We could be in for a very good winter but it all depends on what the government does,” He said that holiday companies need stability, not last-minute changes to travel regulations that have characterized Britain’s 2021 travel laws.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has also warned that prices will “dramatically” surge as Brit tourists rush to fly to Europe next summer.
The demand for trips abroad will outpace capacity, meaning Brits emerging from months of Covid lockdown will face spiraling flight and accommodation costs, he added.
He said: “There will be approximately 20% less short-haul capacity for Europe in 2022 due to a dramatic recovery of demand.
“And the reason why I think prices will be dramatically higher is that there’s less capacity.”
Last week, the traffic light system was scrapped, leaving just a red “travel ban list,” with more restrictions on holiday testing to be lifted next month.