Flights for many people in Slovakia from Vienna will not be as expensive as expected as the Austrian Ministry of Finance has postponed the introduction of a special flight ticket tax, by which it wanted to haul in an extra EUR 60 million for its 2011 budget.
Airlines using the airport protested at the government’s plans to slap an additional EUR 8 – 35 on flights, depending on how long distance they are. It planned to implement the levy in January 2011, but has put off its effect until 1 April 2011 instead, while also classing more countries to the lowest tariff.
Understandably, the airlines are still not happy and feel that many flights will be transferred to Bratislava instead. Austrian Airlines referred to the plan as economic nonsense, while FlyNiki already made its intentions to transfer to Bratislava Airport clear at the beginning of November.
The unhappy airlines even pointed to the fate of similar taxes in other countries, like the Netherlands, where the tax cost the country more than it raked in and so was eventually abolished. If the government does not back off, it will spell a more prosperous future for Bratislava Airport, at least.
[…] in passenger numbers for many years now, and this trend looks set to continue also thanks to a special airport tax could be introduced in Austria, which would raise prices at Vienna airport by up to EUR 35 per […]