Easyjet has called for the scrapping of UK air passenger duty (APD) in favour of a "green efficiency tax".
The airline wants to see APD replaced with a tax based upon aircraft types and distance travelled, the carrier said in a report about aviation's contribution to climate change that it published today.
It says APD does not reflect the emissions of a flight and claims that around 40 per cent of UK aviation activity is exempt from APD.
Andy Harrison, chief executive Easyjet
"It is important that mechanisms are put in place to ensure the aviation industry develops in an environmentally and economically sustainable way and to ensure measures for aviation are proportionate with its impact on climate change," chief executive Andy Harrison said.
In the report, entitled Towards Greener Skies: The Surprising Truth About Flying And The Environment,the carrier carbon dioxide from aviation accounts for about 1.6 per cent of global greenhouse gases.
The airline also said its passengers produce 95.7g of carbon dioxide per km, which it claimed was less than the average family car at around 160g per km and less than Virgin's Voyager diesel tilting trains at 112g per passenger km.
