AirAsia’s carbon fees will be implemented from January 2025. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Oleg
From next January, Malaysia’s AirAsia will roll out mandatory carbon fees on air travel across all operations, said CEO Tony Fernandes.
The airline is currently seeking approval from all authorities in countries where the brand operates – including Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines.
The carbon fee will be added to the airline’s fares in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector.
“I don’t want to just do it in Malaysia,” said Fernandes. “We have an option [for voluntary payment of the carbon fees], but we are not going to make it optional – no one is going to do it.”
Earlier this year, Singapore revealed the imposition of a levy, to be introduced in 2026, that will see air passengers pay more to support the use of sustainable aviation fuel, as the city-state aims to reach net-zero aviation emissions by 2050.
Changi Airport Group has also previously introduced a carbon offset programme to allow travellers to calculate and offset their carbon emissions based on flight origin, destination and class of travel.