Air passengers face massive new green taxes to put people off flying

Dramatic new flight taxes should be brought in to put people off flying, a Government advisory committee has warned.

Tens of billions of pounds in taxes will be needed to compensate third world countries for damage to the environment, the Committee on Climate Change said.

It is also expected to challenge the Government's decision to approve a third runway at Heathrow, saying it is inconsistent with Britain's commitment to reduce emissions by 80 per cent before 2050.

Soaring fares: Air fares could be the latest to rise in a new green tax

In a report leaked to The Times, the committee argued that ticket prices should rise steadily over time as airlines are made to pay for all their emissions.

A global cap on aviation emissions would help to generate money to help developing countries to adapt to climate change using methods such as flood defences to cope with rising sea levels, the report said.

The EU emissions trading scheme is already set to add an average of £10 a ticket from 2012.

Under the committee's new proposals, a return trip from London to Madrid could increase by £10 while flying from London to Los Angeles and back could cost an extra £40.

The committee, which was set up under the Climate Change Act last year, said airlines should be forced to share the burden of meeting Britain's commitment to reduce emissions.

David Kennedy, the committee's chief executive, said: 'A global scheme could raise tens of billions of pounds a year. You can still go on holiday abroad but there isn’t going to be room for massive increases in flying.'

He added: 'It wasn’t specified in our terms of reference but we could take it upon ourselves to talk about Heathrow in our UK aviation review.”'

The revelations will come as further bad news for the aviation industry, which has been hit by a meltdown during the recession, as air cargo traffic decreased and passenger numbers fell.

Holidaymakers have dealt with the hidden costs of air travel, as budget airlines have brought in new charges for baggage and check-in.

A spokesman from the Department of Energy and Climate Change said last night: 'The Government welcomes the Climate Change Committee's advice on this critical issue.

'We will take full account of the Committee's independent advice as we continue to press for international aviation to tackle climate change at Copenhagen.'

By Fay Schlesinger