Luxury tax on private flights: climate initiative divides the federal government

SPD joins climate initiative

Merz is threatened with the next coalition collapse

November 16, 2025 – 5:54 p.mReading time: 2 minutes

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU): The Union is reacting cautiously to the idea of a luxury tax on business class airline tickets and travel with private jets. (Source: IMAGO/dts news agency)

An initiative at the World Climate Conference in Brazil splits the coalition. The SPD and the Union have just come to an agreement on a similar issue.

“Those who pollute more should also contribute more,” said the Spanish ambassador to Brazil, María del Mar Fernández-Palacios, in Belém. “A levy on premium passengers can raise billions for climate resilience, adaptation and sustainable development.” French climate ambassador Benoît Faraco said solidarity taxes like those on luxury flights are in line with the spirit of the Paris climate agreement to curb global warming. All countries at the climate conference are called upon to join. But the proposal met with mixed reactions from the federal government.

While the SPD supports the idea of a luxury tax on air travel, Union politicians are cautious. “The issue does not arise at the moment,” Patrick Schnieder’s (CDU) Ministry of Transport told “Spiegel” when asked. Katherina Reiche’s (CDU) Ministry of Economic Affairs did not want to comment on the question and, according to the magazine, referred to the “Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Transport, which are responsible in the federal government.”

Lars Klingbeil’s (SPD) Ministry of Finance is supporting Carsten Schneider’s Environment Ministry, which is also SPD-led, on this issue. Its spokesman told “Spiegel”: “Anyone who travels first class or in a private plane will be able to pay a tax without any problems.” If the SPD has its way, there could well be a luxury tax on air travel in the future.

The background to the calls for a luxury tax on air transport is the fact that flying is by far the most climate-damaging way of traveling. According to the Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition, only one percent of the world’s population is responsible for more than half of the climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aviation. At the same time, “premium” air travel has increased significantly: emissions from private aviation increased by 46 percent between 2019 and 2023, it is said.