Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (5 Sept) welcomed the Swedish Govt’s pragmatic and forward-thinking proposal to abolish the Aviation Tax from 1 July 2025. The Govt has correctly determined that aviation taxes do nothing to promote sustainable aviation and in fact only serve to damage economic growth, tourism, and employment, whilst also limiting low fare connectivity for Swedish citizens.

As a country on the periphery of Europe, Sweden relies heavily on low fare air travel to access central Europe. Despite this Sweden is one of the few European countries that have failed to recover air traffic, operating at below 80% of pre-Covid levels alongside the likes of France, Germany, and Norway, all of whom share the common theme of regressive aviation taxes.

If the Aviation Tax is abolished it would lower Sweden’s already high access costs and make Sweden more competitive and attractive for airlines, like Ryanair, to invest, grow and deliver the low fare connectivity that Sweden needs to fully recover and grow post-Covid. Ryanair is currently finalising its Summer 2025 schedule and deciding where to place its next 50 new enviro-efficient aircraft – which reduce CO₂ emissions by 20% and noise by 50% – that it will take delivery of over the next year. If Sweden is to pass the Govt’s proposal to abolish the Aviation Tax, it would put Sweden at the top of the line to receive some of these highly sought after Ryanair aircraft, and the investment, routes, jobs, and low fares that come with them.

Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said:

“Ryanair welcomes the Swedish Govt’s innovative and forward-thinking proposal to abolish the harmful Aviation Tax, which has been holding back Sweden’s post-Covid recovery and stifling traffic, job, and economic growth. Abolishing the tax from next July will bring the competitiveness of Sweden’s access costs more in line with its EU counterparts and allow Ryanair to deliver record growth and investment for Sweden over the next 6 years, as we have done elsewhere in Europe.

Ryanair calls on the Parliament to pass this proposal to abolish the harmful Aviation Tax and ensure that Sweden does not lose out on this much-needed Ryanair investment, which would not only help Sweden to restore its pre-Covid traffic levels but surpass them with record growth that would bolster Sweden’s traffic, tourism, job, and economic growth, particularly in regional Sweden where strong air connectivity is fundamental for day-to-day life. The only thing that countries with high aviation taxes like France, Norway and Germany share are aviation industries that are smaller than pre-Covid. Thankfully this Govt has correctly determined that aviation taxes do nothing to promote sustainable aviation and in fact only serve to damage economic growth, tourism, and employment, whilst also limiting low fare connectivity for Swedish citizens.

Ryanair is currently finalising its Summer 2025 schedule and deciding where to place its next 50 new enviro-efficient aircraft – which reduce CO₂ emissions by 20% and noise by 50% – that it will take delivery of over the next year. If Sweden is to pass the Govt’s proposal to abolish the Aviation Tax, it would put Sweden at the top of the line to receive some of these highly sought after Ryanair aircraft, and the investment, routes, jobs, and low fares that come with them.

 We look forward to working with the Swedish Govt. to deliver this exciting low fare growth for Sweden over the years to come, should they progress this proposal to abolish the Aviation Tax and turbocharge Sweden’s growth.”