Ryanair to impose passenger levy in response to new EU tax
Ryanair is introducing a €0.25 levy for each passenger on all bookings made from next Tuesday.
The airline said the new charge is in response to the EU’s new Emissions Trading System (ETS) tax, which it says will cost Ryanair passengers €15m to €20m during 2012.
All airlines using EU airports were brought into the ETS on 1 January.
“Ryanair does not believe that European aviation should be included in the ETS scheme since it accounts for less than 2% of the EU’s CO2 emissions," said Ryanair spokesperson Stephen McNamara.
"This latest EU stealth tax will damage traffic, tourism, European competiveness and jobs at a time when no other economic block is including aviation in their ETS schemes.
"This new ETS tax is the latest in a long line of cost increases imposed on Europe’s air passengers by the European Union, which reduces the competitiveness of EU air transport with yet another misguided ‘environmental’ tax which does nothing for the environment but penalises EU consumers and families.”
