Eleven countries in Europe have introduced a CO2 tax on plane tickets. Opponents of such a levy won a first victory in the Swiss parliament earlier this month. Keystone

An overwhelming majority of people in Switzerland appear to be in favour of introducing a tax on plane tickets to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This content was published on December 31, 2018 - 10:55

swissinfo.ch

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An online poll, published by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, showed that 70% of respondents said they were prepared to pay between CHF12 to CHF50 ($12.2-$50.8) towards a CO2 tax depending on the duration of a flight.

The survey was carried out among more than 6,000 online users ten days ago and comes in the wake of a parliamentary debate which saw the House of Representatives rejecting a proposal to introduce a CO2 tax on plane tickets.

Opponents argued a tax would impose a double financial burden on aviation. Supporters however said flying had become extremely cheap.

The number of plane passengers increased by 60% between 2000 and 2017 according to latest official statistics.

Eleven European countries already levy a tax on plane tickets.

The online survey also showed that 54% of respondents agreed an additional CO2 tax of CHF0.5 per litre on petrol.

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