Airlines attack new tax moves

In a week when France floated the idea of an Air Passenger Duty (APD), moves toward introducing new aviation taxes were attacked by the Airlines for Europe (A4E) group, noting Europe’s biggest carriers would already pay more than €5bn in environmental levies and other payments this year.

A4E chairman, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary, said: “The claim that airlines are not paying environmental taxes is completely false. This environmental debate has been badly misinformed.

“Globally, European airlines are the only airlines paying environmental taxes, forecast at over €5bn in 2019, including €590m in the EU emissions trading system (ETS), up from €370m in 2018, a 59% increase.

“More aviation taxes are a knee-jerk reaction that will undermine European competitiveness and particularly hurt the integration and free movement of EU citizens, especially for peripheral and island member states.”

A4E managing director Thomas Reynaert said EU policy-makers had missed an opportunity to reduce aviation emissions by failing to reform the European sky or by making sustainable fuels sufficiently available for aviation.

“Rather than introducing new taxes – which do nothing to make flying more sustainable – EU governments should recognise and support airlines’ sustainability initiatives with better research and development opportunities,” Reynaert added.

(See also France APD plan condemned in this issue).

https://a4e.eu

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