HomeEconomyEven before the budget vote, Air France is already adopting the increase...

Even before the budget vote, Air France is already adopting the increase in the solidarity tax for travel in 2025

The amount of the tax (which also applies to Transavia flights) is tripled for domestic and European flights in Economy class and can reach 120 euros for long-haul flights in Business and Première.

If you plan to book a trip with Air France (but also with Transavia or KLM) for next year, and you focus on the details of the price, you will be (badly) surprised to find that the solidarity tax applied to tickets is already has increased.

the government wants triple tax revenue Solidarity in airline tickets (TSBA), which today amounts to 460 million euros, to seek new income within the framework of Budget 2025. This increase would come into force on January 1.

However, the principle of this tax has not yet been adopted by Parliament. But this does not prevent Air France from already applying the increase to tickets sold today for flights after January 1, 2025.

8 euros more in a Paris-Nice

BFM Business has verified this by simulating the purchase of a ticket for a Paris-Nice flight: in the detailed summary of prices (image below), we can clearly read: “surplus linked to the solidarity tax: 8.37 euros.

Questioned, the airline confirms and explains that “this increase (in the tax, NB) would come into force for transportation as of January 1, 2025, and would also apply to tickets already issued for travel from this date.” . Therefore, Air France chose to take the initiative for treasury reasons.

“In addition, the Air France KLM group has decided to transfer this increase immediately to tickets sold for travel from January 1, 2025, without waiting for the final approval of the financing bill,” it continues.

Regularization in case of rejection by Parliament

The company also details the increases depending on destinations and classes.

  • For domestic flights (including overseas territories), flights within the EU and within the European Economic Area, the stopover will increase from 2.63 to 9.50 euros for Economy and Premium cabins and 20.27 to 30 euros for the Business cabin.
  • For the rest of flights of less than 5,500 km, the stopover will increase by 7.51 to 15 euros for Economy and Premium cabins and 63.07 to 80 euros for Business and La Première cabins.
  • For all flights over 5,500 km, the stopover will increase by 7.51 to 40 euros for Economy and Premium cabins and 63.07 to 120 euros for Business and La Première cabins.

If by chance the increase in the solidarity tax is not adopted, or if its scale is modified, “the group companies will carry out a regularization so that the amount collected is equal to the amount actually owed for the solidarity tax”, assures Air France.

Companies oppose the tax

A few days ago, the head of Air France-KLM described this increase as a “shock” for his group and “a new hard blow for the entire sector.”

For Bertrand Godinot, director of Easyjet for France, “the middle classes, SMEs or students will soon not have access to affordable short and medium-haul flights, but taking the plane should not be reserved for an elite.”

The low-cost airline has also commissioned a survey that shows that 57% of respondents reject this measure. For 71%, their main objective is to allow the government to quickly replenish state coffers. Only 27% believe that this measure has an environmental intention.

The entire sector is strong wind against this probable tax increase. The Fnam (National Federation of Aviation and its Professions) and the Union of French Airports (UAF) have joined together to denounce the “devastating effects” of this measure.

For the French Group of Aeronautical and Space Industries (Gifas), these measures “are detrimental to the French flag and its territories”, “they will reduce our tourist attraction and will abruptly stop the reindustrialization of the sector.”

Author: Olivier Chicheportiche, with Jean-Baptiste Huet
Source: BFM TV

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