Overview
- The Merz government will reduce the air-travel ticket levy by €350 million starting 1 July 2026, partially reversing last year’s increase.
- Climate advocates, including Greenpeace’s Martin Kaiser and activist Luisa Neubauer, criticized the move as a misguided signal during COP30 in Belém.
- Aviation groups welcomed the decision, with airport association ADV calling it the start of a turnaround and Lufthansa saying the government recognizes the sector’s strain.
- Officials and industry cite steep increases in aviation taxes and fees since 2019, including the 2024 rise, as factors driving routes and airline activity away from Germany.
- The coalition said the resulting revenue shortfall will be logged in the transport budget, and it coupled the step with plans for a subsidized industrial power price and new reserve gas plants.