Ryanair Complains to the EU Commission against Irish government’s discriminatory tourist tax

Ryanair, the World’s favourite airline, today (29th July) confirmed that it had submitted complaints to the EU Commission regarding the Irish Government’s tourist tax of €10 (€2 on shorter routes) which unfairly differentiates between Irish domestic routes and EU routes. Ryanair has made the following complaints on the Irish Government’s tourist tax:

1. Internal Market complaint on the ground that this discriminatory tax breaches the EU Treaty on the freedom to provide services and EU Reg 1008/2008 as it constitutes a measure designed to effectively protect domestic traffic and airlines that fly domestic routes.

 

2. A state aid complaint to challenge the illegal aid provided to Aer Arann through the Irish Government’s reduction of the tourist tax from €10 to €2 on short routes (destinations less than 300km from Dublin).

 

3. A state aid complaint to highlight that transit/ transfer passengers and cargo traffic are exempted from the tourist tax which constitutes illegal state aid to Aer Lingus and the Government owned DAA Monopoly.

 

Ryanair continues to call for the Irish Government to scrap this suicidal and damaging €10 tourist tax which has caused traffic to collapse at Dublin Airport (down 15% in June alone) while Ryanair continues to grow rapidly in countries such as Belgium, Holland, Greece and Spain which have scrapped tourist taxes and or reduced airport charges to zero.

 

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said: “Ryanair has filed complaints with the EU in relation to the Irish Government’s unfair travel tax which places an unfair burden on Irish residents who wish to receive or provide services in other EU member states as it clearly favours domestic travel. We believe the tax constitutes state aid to Aer Arann, Aer Lingus and the Government owned DAA Monopoly which all benefit from differences in tax rates and/or exemptions for certain types of traffic.

 

“Ryanair believes the tax should be scrapped as it has resulted in the collapse of Irish tourism and unfairly protects domestic travel, but if this misguided Government is going to stick by its failed policy of taxing tourist it should at least ensure that it is applied fairly”.
 
(c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 30-Jul-09
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