Airline Emissions in Europe Surpass Pre-COVID Levels Despite Pledges to Decarbonize

Airline Emissions in Europe Surpass Pre-COVID Levels Despite Pledges to Decarbonize
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Emissions from aviation in Europe have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with Ryanair’s carbon footprint increasing by 50% since 2019, new research reveals. Despite promises to reduce emissions and use more fuel-efficient planes, aviation emissions continue to rise, driven by the expansion of low-cost carriers like Ryanair.

In 2025, Ryanair’s emissions alone totaled 16.6 megatonnes of CO₂, comparable to the total annual emissions of a small European country. The entire European aviation sector emitted 195 megatonnes of CO₂ in 2025, a 2% increase from pre-COVID levels. Ryanair carried over 200 million passengers last year, up from 140 million in 2019.

The EU’s emissions trading system (ETS) has not fully addressed the sector’s pollution, as it excludes long-haul flights, which account for a significant portion of emissions. T&E suggests extending the carbon market to all departing flights to increase revenue and accelerate decarbonization.

While Ryanair defends its growth as taking place on fuel-efficient aircraft, it argues that the ETS system unfairly exempts long-haul flights from emissions pricing, which limits its effectiveness in curbing aviation emissions.