New Airline Ticket Tax proposed by G8
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New Airline Ticket Tax proposed by G8
G8 wants tax on airline tickets to help poor
Airline groups have condemned plans by the world's richest countries to impose a tax on airline tickets to fund extra money for poor African countries - and make a gesture towards fighting climate change.
Finance ministers from the G8 agreed at the weekend to look at using income from airline traffic to boost aid.
Although the tax might only amount to a few extra pence on a ticket, experts believe the move would be a major blow to cut-price airlines that sell tickets for as little as £1.
The move, which could add a pound on to air fares, was greeted with delight by environmental groups who said it was a first step towards making people pay the true cost of plane travel.
The plan emerged in the text of the communiqué issued after the two-day meeting in London but was initially overshadowed by the high-profile agreement by the G8 to wipe out $40bn (£22bn) of Third World debt.
The G8 backed a pilot project, led by France and Germany, for a "contribution of air travel tickets to support specific development projects."
Hans Eichel, the German Finance Minister, said: "The air ticket tax ... is now on the working programme of the G8. No one in the G8 has said anything against it."
Gordon Brown is understood to have consented to the new plan, seen as a sign of a trade-off in exchange for France and Germany dropping their initial opposition to the terms of his debt cancellation plan.
Airline groups have condemned plans by the world's richest countries to impose a tax on airline tickets to fund extra money for poor African countries - and make a gesture towards fighting climate change.
Finance ministers from the G8 agreed at the weekend to look at using income from airline traffic to boost aid.
Although the tax might only amount to a few extra pence on a ticket, experts believe the move would be a major blow to cut-price airlines that sell tickets for as little as £1.
The move, which could add a pound on to air fares, was greeted with delight by environmental groups who said it was a first step towards making people pay the true cost of plane travel.
The plan emerged in the text of the communiqué issued after the two-day meeting in London but was initially overshadowed by the high-profile agreement by the G8 to wipe out $40bn (£22bn) of Third World debt.
The G8 backed a pilot project, led by France and Germany, for a "contribution of air travel tickets to support specific development projects."
Hans Eichel, the German Finance Minister, said: "The air ticket tax ... is now on the working programme of the G8. No one in the G8 has said anything against it."
Gordon Brown is understood to have consented to the new plan, seen as a sign of a trade-off in exchange for France and Germany dropping their initial opposition to the terms of his debt cancellation plan.
I get really irritated when these b@st@rds spend OUR money on their pet schemes and then claim the 'credit' for it.
I don't think any senior member of the UK Government has ever worked in business. Their ignorance shows only too often.
I don't think any senior member of the UK Government has ever worked in business. Their ignorance shows only too often.
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May one ask what is wrong with suggesting a world-wide £1 on a ticket price to help fund the erradication of 3rd world poverty (countries where to fly off on holiday is a total 100% impossibility, even if all the family including the gramps saved for a year they could not afford to send one of their own to Malaga).
What the **** is wrong with all of us!!!. Is aviation some sort of sacred cow, some shrine of Buddha, that cannot be violated for fear of upsetting the 'great sun worhip' religion known as the football shirt p**head with spouse and 2 snot noses who think the way to appreciate another country's culture is to spit on the floor and ask for ..."2 lager pronto pal", and if that fails to elicit a response, shout it coz "...these foreigners are stupid, ...give us a chip".
I certainly have a problem with tin-pot countries holding up the begging bowl, whilst buying arms left, right and centre, i also have difficulty with the inability for third world countries to adapt/adopt crop rotation theory to agriculture, but I really, really REALLY get ****** off with people who pay a few quid to jet 2,000 miles whinge about an additional £1 on the ticket. the fuel is what, 20p a litre? and gets you about 3 miles or something daft!, Come on, are we THAT POOR.
And we get mugs paying £700 quid on the internet for the 'Live8' concert, why must the world we live in be about nothing but money and prestige, makes me sick.
There, I have been!
What the **** is wrong with all of us!!!. Is aviation some sort of sacred cow, some shrine of Buddha, that cannot be violated for fear of upsetting the 'great sun worhip' religion known as the football shirt p**head with spouse and 2 snot noses who think the way to appreciate another country's culture is to spit on the floor and ask for ..."2 lager pronto pal", and if that fails to elicit a response, shout it coz "...these foreigners are stupid, ...give us a chip".
I certainly have a problem with tin-pot countries holding up the begging bowl, whilst buying arms left, right and centre, i also have difficulty with the inability for third world countries to adapt/adopt crop rotation theory to agriculture, but I really, really REALLY get ****** off with people who pay a few quid to jet 2,000 miles whinge about an additional £1 on the ticket. the fuel is what, 20p a litre? and gets you about 3 miles or something daft!, Come on, are we THAT POOR.
And we get mugs paying £700 quid on the internet for the 'Live8' concert, why must the world we live in be about nothing but money and prestige, makes me sick.
There, I have been!
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I think if an aviation tax went to fund research into leaner burning engines, noise reductions or DVT avoidance, few ppruners would argue the toss. Instead it's an unrelated cash grab. Why not tax chocolate biscuits or skateboards or champagne?
The fact that intracontinental travel now has taxes (already) exceeding the fare, sometimes by multiples if you're travelling loco, is annoying enough as it is.
It is also a regressive tax, paid the same by the poorest and wealthiest payers, on an industry which carries tourists to these developing countries and/or asylum seekers from them.
I think if an aviation tax went to fund research into leaner burning engines, noise reductions or DVT avoidance, few ppruners would argue the toss. Instead it's an unrelated cash grab. Why not tax chocolate biscuits or skateboards or champagne?
The fact that intracontinental travel now has taxes (already) exceeding the fare, sometimes by multiples if you're travelling loco, is annoying enough as it is.
It is also a regressive tax, paid the same by the poorest and wealthiest payers, on an industry which carries tourists to these developing countries and/or asylum seekers from them.
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20p a litre? I wish!
It's close to £2 per USG now... when you add on the fuel differential etc. Depends on the amount of flying hours each company does obviously... But no way is it even close to 20p a litre! They where the good old days!
It's close to £2 per USG now... when you add on the fuel differential etc. Depends on the amount of flying hours each company does obviously... But no way is it even close to 20p a litre! They where the good old days!
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The 'tax' would penalise those who are more reliant on air travel due to geographic reasons (island nations such as Ireland, Britain, etc). If they are so gung ho on solving the world's problems, then why don't they slap the tax on all transport modes, including train fares and toll roads!
Between fuel surcharges, airport security, car parking fees, national taxes, etc, the cost of an airline ticket is now a multiplier of the actual fare itself.
Between fuel surcharges, airport security, car parking fees, national taxes, etc, the cost of an airline ticket is now a multiplier of the actual fare itself.
