‘Superskævt’
Christina Olumeko, the tax spokesperson for Alternativet, believes that the discount for private jets goes against a fundamental principle.
“It should be that the polluter pays. Unfortunately, this is not the case with this passenger tax. It is very skewed, and I believe that there are many ordinary Danes who cannot understand why they should pay a passenger tax while those who fly the most polluting flights are exempt from it with their private jets. It is not fair,” says Christina Olumeko.
The agreement on a passenger tax divided the left wing. SF and Enhedslisten are part of the agreement, while Alternativet did not want to participate. The party’s tax spokesperson Christina Olumeko calls it ‘skewed’ that private jets are protected in the agreement. (Photo: © Thomas Traasdahl, Ritzau Scanpix)
Although both Enhedslisten and SF are part of the agreement on the passenger tax, they also criticize the fact that private jets are exempt from paying.
SF’s climate spokesperson, Signe Munk, says that the government did not want to include a tax on private jets during the negotiations last year.
“It is about a political reluctance in the government. We proposed that there should be some form of climate tax on private flights. There was no openness to this in the government,” says Signe Munk.
“There should be a tax on these private flights. The richest should not just be able to fly around without reasonable taxes. And it should be a much higher tax than the small tax that has been added as we introduce flight taxes in general,” says Enhedslisten’s climate spokesperson, Søren Egge Rasmussen.
Enhedslisten has previously proposed a high climate tax on the use of private jets with fossil fuels in Denmark.
The proposal was rejected in April, where, among others, the government voted against it. However, Enhedslisten will try again now, after the new calculations from Aarhus University have emerged.
Minister Considers Tax
Finance Minister Rasmus Stoklund (S) points out that there is no ticket issued for a private jet, making it difficult to impose a passenger tax.
In August, Mette Frederiksen appointed Rasmus Stoklund as the new finance minister. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix)
But Rasmus Stoklund is now considering the possibility of imposing a tax on private jets. This is something the government voted against in the parliament earlier this year.
“We have a clear stance that private jets should also contribute to the green transformation of aviation. And therefore, we need to find the right method,” he says.
Can you understand if passengers on commercial flights wonder why they don’t have to pay a tax when flying on a private jet?
– Yes, I can understand that. And that is why I say we need to find the right model for private jets.
So will there be a tax on private jet flights?
“I’m not sure it will be a tax. It will require a different model than what we have in terms of passenger tax,” says Rasmus Stoklund.
Danish Aviation: Need for Green Fuel
At Dansk Luftfart, which represents several companies with private jets, they believe that it is essential not to focus too much on one specific part of aviation. However, the trade association does not answer whether it is fair to use private jets in light of the climate crisis.
“What is crucial for the overall green transformation of the aviation industry is that we invest in sustainable aviation fuels in the engines,” says Mathias Milling, secretary-general of Dansk Luftfart.
“But couldn’t one fly business class on commercial flights instead of using a private jet?”
“Private jets serve a purpose in the market for some large global companies with complex transportation needs. They need to travel to certain places at unusual times to smaller airports where there is no basis for commercial scheduled air traffic,” says Mathias Milling.
You can watch the new DR documentary “The Super Rich’s Private Jets” right now on DRTV and tonight on DR1 at 9:25 pm.