Aviation should be strictly rationed with frequent flyers forced to pay “much, much more” for every trip they take, according to an Irish environmentalist.

New figures show that 40% of Irish people are planning to go on three or more overseas holidays this year.

That is despite the huge impact air travel is having on our climate – and on the places of natural beauty around the world.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, environmental campaigner John Gibbons said international tourism has “absolutely exploded” in our lifetimes – increasing 300-fold since 1950 and 75-fold since 1960.

Sunbathers on Coogee Beach in New South Wales, Australia, 11-2-17. Image: Angus McComiskey / Alamy

He said that explosion has come with a “massive ecological cost” – with one billion tonnes of emissions directly attributable to aviation each year.

“The reason that is so significant is that only, probably, 10% or maybe 15% of the world's population has ever set foot on an aircraft or ever will set foot on an aircraft," he said.

“So, anyone listening to us this morning who has been on a flight, you're already one of the global elites; one of the global top 10% or 15% of wealthy people who has the luxury of flying.

“The problem, of course, is that the emissions, the impacts, the climate destabilisation, the flooding, the droughts, the extreme weather that we're reading about every single day, this is being driven by that extra billion tonnes of CO2 emissions that are being ejected by people in wealthy countries like Ireland.”

Flying Ration

Mr Gibbons said aviation is a “wonderful thing” – but it must used in a fairer way around the world.

“I've argued the case before and let me once again make it this morning,” he said.

“Aviation is such a wonderful resource that, like all other resources, it should be used rationally - and the fairest way, in my book, to use aviation would be to give each of us, if you like, a ration, an allowance of aviation.

“You get X number of kilometres per year and beyond that, we should then pay much, much more heavily.”

Global emissions

Asked whether it was realistic to ask people to choose to fly less, he said: “I actually do. I do believe it's going to happen. I think we've got no choices at the moment.”

“Aviation accounts for, when you include what are called non-CO2 impacts, it accounts for about 3.5% of global emissions,” he said.

“That means if aviation were a country, it would be one of the largest countries in the world for emissions.

"I think sometimes when people hear figures like 3.5%, they think it's small – it is actually huge.”

Mr Gibbons said he would strongly urge Irish people to consider a staycation, “particularly if you're looking at multiple foreign trips this year”.

“Just think, maybe support your local tourism industry and there's plenty of wonderful places in Ireland that we can go and see with a much lower carbon impact than, for example, flying down to the Canary Islands, which has a huge impact,” he said.

Mr Gibbons called for airline tickets and aviation fuel to be fully taxed in order to reduce airlines' ability to offer cheap flights.