Forget about cheap plane tickets. It appears that in the future, travel will require digging deep into your pockets as international flight prices are likely to continue rising, reports T-Portal.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the prices of international airline tickets will probably continue to increase over the next 10-15 years. The expected rise in sustainable fuel costs will further contribute to the already high ticket prices.

The increased demand for travel after the Covid pandemic has led to a rapid increase in ticket prices on many routes, and IATA states that customers can expect to pay more for tickets as airlines increase the use of rare "greener" jet fuels in response to government mandates to reduce carbon emissions in aviation.

Willie Walsh, the Director-General of IATA and former CEO of British Airways, said, "We will increasingly demand SAF (sustainable aviation fuel), and that means increasing costs."

Walsh emphasized that some economists believe that sustainable fuels could become cheaper than kerosene over time and added, "Over the next 10-15 years, there will certainly be a significant increase in fuel costs unless there is some compensating reduction in other costs, but I don't currently see that. Then people should expect an increase in average ticket prices."

"That will mean higher ticket prices because sustainable aviation fuel is more expensive than your traditional jet fuel. And as we move towards zero emissions, that will cost some money," he added.

Air transport costs have significantly increased due to rising oil prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as increased labour costs. Walsh also pointed out the limited capacities due to a lack of spare parts, which prevented some airlines from operating their full fleets.

Despite the much higher ticket prices that passengers have to pay on many routes this summer, IATA stated that its analysis showed that ticket prices worldwide at the beginning of 2023 were still around the levels of 2019, lagging behind the inflation during the pandemic period. And more tourists are flying out to enjoy All inclusive safaris. 

Last year, Ryanair announced that the era of ultra-cheap flying had ended. The upcoming impact of SAF was proposed in a recent update to the United Kingdom's sustainable aviation plan, which aims to achieve zero emissions by 2050. This plan heavily relies on offsets, SAF, and fleet replacement with more fuel-efficient aircraft to reduce net emissions.