[Anonymous]

[Bucksnet]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9420638/Ryanair-to-close-Spanish-routes-in-airport-tax-row.html

Ryanair is cutting 492 flights a week after Spain stupidly doubled airport taxes at Barcelona and Madrid. Around 2,000 jobs to be lost.

When will governments learn that taxes like this are counter productive? I don’t know the tax situation in Spain, but it appears they levy taxes at certain airports instead of our APD which is countrywide. This is not the way to improve their economy.

[BA744fan]

Let this be a warning to the UK government because the same reaction could so easily come from airlines disillusioned with the excessive taxes on travellers in and out of Heathrow.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

Well while it’s sad to see jobs lost particularly in Spain, FR cannot call the tune much as they would like to. Just watch for the announcement of new routes to other Spanish destinations with all the huff and puff that is usual from FR.

[LuganoPirate]

Of course this could be a tactic from O’Leary to frighten the Spanish. Personally I don’t think it will make much of a dent to the tourists arriving. If people want to fly there they will, and as Ryanair is not the only airline flying there others may increase their capacity.

We’ll see who blinks first?

[canucklad]

My mates and I are flying FR to Alicante at the end of September. Already got the e-mail requesting £1.50 for the new tax! The tax seems to vary dependant on airport! I agree with Bucksnet. The Barcelona and Madrid chambers of commerce must be raging as other city breaks become more econimically attractive regardless of O”Learys normall blackmailing brinkmanship!

[Bucksnet]

Just doing a bit of research and discovered that airport taxes are rising all over Spain: –

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18720587

If there is no Spanish version of APD then at least that’s something, but it will not help the tourist trade or the rest of their economy.

Adiós muchachos.

[Binman62]

The headline reads Ryan air axes routes in tax row..

Rubbish, utter rubbish and O’Leary spin.

The routes are being axed as the Spanish economy is on its knees. 50% unemployment for under 25’s: property prices in free fall and BANKs in debt and again being supported by EU zone tax payers.

No one can afford to fly period, taxes are a small proportion of the cost. Checking in at the airport is more expensive than the departure tax and heaven help you if you lose your boarding pass or have to make a change.

It suits this man, who is the unacceptable face of capitalism ( IMHO) to blame taxes. What airports need to understand is that he is even more short termist than banks and he and his awful airline should be avoided at all costs.

[Author]

Posts