The Government’s advisory on climate change has said that tens of billions of pounds would need to be raised through flight taxes to compensate developing countries for the damage air travel is doing to the environment.

Airfares should rise over time to deter air travel and to ensure that carbon dioxide emissions from aviation fall back to pre-2005 levels, the Committee on Climate Change said.  The committee also believes that airlines should share the burden of meeting Britain’s commitment to an 80 percent emissions cut by 2050.

The report says that the cost per passenger of compensation would initially be small, but would eventually reach a level to discourage people from flying, and industry estimates suggest that the average passenger would pay less than £10 per return ticket when the EU joins the trading scheme in 2010, but would rise over time.

The committee has proposed a global limit on aviation emissions in which airlines are required to buy allowances and revenue generated would be given to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change.

Under the proposals, air carriers would be given free carbon permits allowing for 85 percent of their emissions but will have to purchase the remaining 15 percent.   The committee says that they should have to pay for all their emissions, but this would more than double the cost to passengers.