Airlines and airport managers do not oppose the Government’s desire to triple the tax on airline tickets (TSBA). To complete its budget, the government has set the goal of recovering, in 2025, one billion euros, of which 850 million from regular airlines and 150 million from business aviation. “We demand the cancellation of the increase”it is necessary that “the government is reviewing your copy”exclaimed, on Tuesday, November 12, Pascal de Izaguirre, president of the National Federation of Aviation and its Trades (FNAM).
To support their claim, the companies presented a Deloitte study that would demonstrate that tripling the TSBA would be “counterproductive”specified the head of the FNAM. Companies and airports above all invite the government not to weaken air transport. A sector that weighs heavily on the economy, almost two points of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 567,946 direct, indirect and induced jobs. According to the Deloitte study, commissioned several months before the Government considered increasing the TSBA, air transport alone generates 37% of international tourism revenue in France, that is, 23 billion euros. It also contributes 12 billion euros a year in tax revenue to the State.
Above all, the airlines point out, tripling the tax could lead to “a reduction in traffic in 2025 of 2% on average throughout the territory, and much further in certain airports”. Thomas Juin, president of the Union of French Airports (UAF), fears that foreign companies, especially low-cost ones, such as Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling, Wizz Air and Volotea, will close routes in France to open others outside the borders. What’s more, the FNAM and the UAF assure that the tax increase will cause job destruction. According to them, at least 11,500 jobs will be eliminated, to which will be added a fiscal loss of 500 million euros for the State. Finally, they warn that the increase in the TSBA will “ France is the country that taxes its air transport the most within the European Union, along with Germany ».
“A fair update”
Unlike airlines, environmental NGOs welcome the tripling of the tax on airline tickets. “A good tool, contrary to what the industry says”says Alexis Chailloux, transport director of the Climate Action Network (RAC). When “The Netherlands, Germany and Great Britain increased their taxes, this favored the French flag”argues.
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