Travellers from Denmark could pay 220 kroner more on European flights under fee plan

Flight departures from Danish airports kept rising in the first half of 2026, and Denmark's Climate Council is now urging the country to make flying more expensive through what it calls "climate fees." The proposal would go beyond the passenger charges already written into Danish law.

The call is only a recommendation so far. Lars Aagaard, a former climate minister and the Moderate Party's current energy spokesperson, said there is no current government plan to raise the climate fee.

Key facts

• Flights leaving Denmark continued to increase during the first half of 2026.
• Denmark's parliament approved a phased-in flight fee in 2023.
• Flights within the European Union are scheduled to reach 50 kroner (about $7.50) by 2030.
• The Climate Council wants that European fee raised to 220 kroner ($33).
• It also proposes adding another 100 kroner ($15) for flights outside Europe.
• No government plan to raise the fee has been announced.

What is the Climate Council proposing?

Denmark's Climate Council argues that stronger fees are needed to better reflect aviation's climate impact, according to a report by Danish public broadcaster DR. Council member and professor Marie Münster said the higher charges could be a chance for Denmark to get ahead of other countries, telling DR: "Denmark could lead the way here."

Münster also said Denmark should at least keep pace with countries that already charge more. The council's proposal would lift the scheduled European fee from 50 kroner to 220 kroner ($33) and add 100 kroner ($15) on top for flights outside Europe.

What fees apply to flights from Denmark now?

Denmark already operates a flight-fee framework approved by parliament in 2023 and phased in over time. Flights within the European Union are scheduled to reach 50 kroner (about $7.50) by 2030.

For destinations outside Europe, the planned charges are higher: 310 kroner ($46) on medium-length routes and 410 kroner ($61) on longer-haul destinations. Denmark's current departure charges are similar to those in some nearby nations and lower than the levels in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Is the government planning to raise the fee?

No. Aagaard told DR there is no current government plan to do so. He said the existing fees are intended to support greener airline initiatives, and warned that pushing passenger charges higher could make flying harder for some people in Denmark and lead travellers to use other airports.

What this means for travellers

Nothing changes for ticket prices at this stage: the higher charges are a proposal, and the government says it is not planning to raise the fee. Travellers flying from Denmark can expect the already approved phased-in fees to continue as scheduled.

Copenhagen Airport is the largest airport in Scandinavia and a major regional hub, so any future policy change there would affect a broad set of travellers. Departure numbers kept climbing in the first half of 2026, even as travellers were warned that possible jet fuel shortages could push ticket prices higher.

No timeline has been announced for any decision on the Climate Council's proposal.