Ryanair‘s emissions are now 50% higher than they were in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, a new analysis of aviation sector emissions by Transport & Environment (T&E) has found.
According to T&E, low-cost carriers were responsible for most of the growth in emissions in 2025, with flights across Europe generating 195 Mt of CO₂, making aviation the fastest-growing source of emissions in the European Union.
Ryanair, which T&E described as the ‘most polluting airline in Europe’, emitted 16.6 Mt of CO₂ from flights departing European airports last year, which equates to the total emissions output of a country the size of Croatia. Ryanair also recorded the largest increase of any of the world’s ‘top 20 most polluting airlines’ worldwide.
Flights departing Europe accounted for 23% of global aviation emissions, lower than that of Asia (31%) and North America (25%), however aviation is moving in the opposite direction to sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and other transport modes, which have made strides in reducing emissions.
Emissions Trading System
As T&E noted, most aviation emissions are not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System – according to the group, around two-thirds of aviation emissions escape carbon pricing because the scheme only applies to intra-European routes, leaving most long-haul flights outside its scope.
This means that European airlines pay significantly higher carbon costs than those focused on long-haul routes – Ryanair pays around €50 per tonne of carbon emissions, while Lufthansa pays around €20 per tonne. However, Gulf-based carriers such as Emirates pay close to zero under the European system.
‘Irresponsible growth’
“Aviation emissions hitting new emissions high is a clear signal that the industry has no intention of cleaning up its act,” commented T&E’s Giacomo Miele. “The sector’s irresponsible growth comes with enormous climate and environmental costs, yet airlines avoided over €8.5 billion in emissions costs in 2025 alone due to structural loopholes.
“By extending the EU ETS to all departing flights, Europe could capture billions in annual revenue to subsidise the transition to green aviation fuels. It is time to stop subsidising fossil fuel dependency and start investing in the future of a sustainable aviation sector.” Read more here.
