The European Union on Thursday agreed to delay by a year plans to impose pollution charges on airlines, a decision welcomed by the airline industry.

The bloc’s environment ministers moved back to 2012 the date from which all flights to and from its 27 countries would fall under its emissions trading scheme (ETS), which imposes carbon dioxide quotas and allows business to trade them, overturning the idea of a year-long trial period for intra-EU flights only.