It sounds strangely surprising: passengers wonder why private planes are exempt from taxes.

"It sounds strange right away": Passengers are surprised that private planes are exempt from tax

There was not much understanding for the government's exemption when DR was at the airport.

55 minutes ago

From New Year's Day, a plane ticket with a regular airline between 30 and 300 crowns, depending on the length of the journey.

And it's not surprising that DR encounters passengers at Copenhagen Airport in Kastrup.

"Reasonable", "good idea", and "completely okay" were the words used.

However, the government should not look to the airport if it wants sympathy for its decision to exempt private planes from the flight tax that other passengers must pay.

- I don't think that's okay. Of course, you should pay, regardless of how you travel. People in private planes usually have more money, so they should also have a tax, says Karina Simonsen, who is a category manager when DR encounters her at the airport.

Pensioner Søren Tofte also disagrees.

Søren Tofte pays willingly for the green transition when he flies. Private planes should do the same, he thinks.

- I would absolutely say that it's strange. Those with private planes are the ones who have the most money to pay something extra, so I believe it's wrong that they don't have to pay, he says.

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The same fuel

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Aarhus University has made calculations for DR ( https://www.dr.dk/news/science/climate/in-the-middle-of-the-climate-crisis-danish-private-planes-fly-around-and-pig-out-17 ) that show that Danish-owned private planes pollute the climate significantly more than scheduled flights.

The calculations show that all flights in 2023 with Danish private planes from Billund to nine popular European destinations on average released 17 times more CO2 per passenger than a comparable journey in a scheduled flight.

And it's the same thing that many comment on. That passengers in private planes are exempt from paying the tax.

Oliver Rasmussen finds it most confusing of all that you don't have to pay the tax when flying in a private plane.

- It sounds strange right away that you don't have to. It sounds like a rule that should apply to all forms of air transport if it's a measure taken to protect the environment, he says.

Lars Nielsen, who works in the bank, also finds it hard to understand.

- A plane is still a plane. It's the same fuel, so they should also be subject to the green tax, he says.

- It sounds quite reasonable that we should be part of the green transition when we fly, says Lars Nielsen.

Pensioner Niels Ove Jørgensen agrees.

- It's something that contributes to covering the costs of green taxes and continuing the green transition. So everyone should pay, he says.

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They should spit in the jar

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One explanation from the government's side for the lack of flight tax on private planes has been that you don't buy a ticket for a private plane flight, and therefore no tax can be levied on the ticket.

But pensioner Niels Ove Jørgensen does not buy it.

- So they have to find a way to collect some taxes from them as well, so they can also spit in the big jar in the end.

- Everyone should pay, says Niels Ove Jørgensen.

Finance Minister Rasmus Stoklund (S) can understand that the differential treatment does not meet with understanding from scheduled flight passengers, and he is open to looking at different models for how private planes can pay more.

- We have the clear stance that private planes should also contribute to the green transition of aviation. And therefore, we will find the right method, says Rasmus Stoklund.

On DR TV, you can now see the new DR documentary 'The Super Rich's Private Planes' about the use of Danish-owned private planes. The documentary will also be shown in prime time on DR1.

Documentary | 45M The Super Rich's Private Planes ( https://www.dr.dk/tv/program/the-super-richs-private-planes_479835 )

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