The UK already taxes flights in a similar way.
Whilst this does feel like progress, it would be much better to tax the fuel instead of the passengers. Virtually all other fuel is taxed, so it's strange that jet fuel is exempt.
The problem with taxing passengers instead of fuel include:
- it doesn't encourage improving the efficiency of planes
- airlines can't fill their planes with really cheap seats, and empty seats seem like a ridiculous waste
- freight isn't taxed
If you tax fuel too much there's a risk that planes will fly in with enough fuel to fly out again, but that could be fixed by legislation or (better) by a standardised fuel tax across a large area.
- it doesn't encourage improving the efficiency of planes
- airlines can't fill their planes with really cheap seats, and empty seats seem like a ridiculous waste
- freight isn't taxed
If you tax fuel too much there's a risk that planes will fly in with enough fuel to fly out again, but that could be fixed by legislation or (better) by a standardised fuel tax across a large area.