BELFAST AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Belfast, UK
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A couple of relevant stories in the Belfast Telegraph recently, may be of interest.
BFS tops punctuality list
Belfast International tops list of UK's most punctual airports - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
and regarding APD tax
Stormont 'is scared of abolishing £26 air tax' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
BFS tops punctuality list
Belfast International tops list of UK's most punctual airports - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
and regarding APD tax
Stormont 'is scared of abolishing £26 air tax' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
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A couple of relevant stories in the Belfast Telegraph recently, may be of interest.
BFS tops punctuality list
Belfast International tops list of UK's most punctual airports - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
and regarding APD tax
Stormont 'is scared of abolishing £26 air tax' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
BFS tops punctuality list
Belfast International tops list of UK's most punctual airports - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
and regarding APD tax
Stormont 'is scared of abolishing £26 air tax' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
Showing a bit of fight for a change. Good to see. Fairly honest assessment of the situation imho.
Nail on the head in terms of Northern Ireland Politicians and the complete lack of ambition shown.
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: London, UK & Europe
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Do not believe they are scared but they cannot aford to cut the tax. As most know before long it will be civil servants or London controlling spending. Unless stormont get themselves together.
APD is here to stay and if it was a major issue the capacity into NI would be declining and not increasing as it is....
Anybody know how much it brings in?
APD is here to stay and if it was a major issue the capacity into NI would be declining and not increasing as it is....
Anybody know how much it brings in?
Join Date: Apr 2012
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#CutAPDforBFS
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Up There
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Given the land border I think the additional €17/€18 added for an 'environmental tax' to flights leaving from Belfast is extremely detrimental to maintaining the air travel industry in NI.
Especially when you consider that a lot of the monies being gathered up so enthusiastically into Treasury in London were partly handed over sharpish to bail out ROI not so long ago, enabling them to turn the air tax issue against NI, rather than having to actually increase taxes to address the financial problem they had created for themselves!
Still - stiff upper lip, old chap!!
Especially when you consider that a lot of the monies being gathered up so enthusiastically into Treasury in London were partly handed over sharpish to bail out ROI not so long ago, enabling them to turn the air tax issue against NI, rather than having to actually increase taxes to address the financial problem they had created for themselves!
Still - stiff upper lip, old chap!!
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Given the land border I think the additional €17/€18 added for an 'environmental tax' to flights leaving from Belfast is extremely detrimental to maintaining the air travel industry in NI.
Especially when you consider that a lot of the monies being gathered up so enthusiastically into Treasury in London were partly handed over sharpish to bail out ROI not so long ago, enabling them to turn the air tax issue against NI, rather than having to actually increase taxes to address the financial problem they had created for themselves!
Still - stiff upper lip, old chap!!
Still - stiff upper lip, old chap!!
Biggest problem in NI is it was being shelled from the recession for many years when the rest of the UK has made cuts. Credit card as reached it's limit!
To add to the problem SF can't do anything in NI because they will damage their chances in the ROI, they have being caught out for double standards to much!
Join Date: Dec 2014
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J636
I believe the UK were one of the first movers to think about hammering the travel and holiday industry well back into the nineties, and long before ROI ever thought like many other European countries about applying a tax of this kind. Sure they had a tax in the south of Ireland for a short period of time but at no stage during that period was the UK/NI exempt from a tax.
Agree with much of your second point. But the simple question is - if NI is to have any hope of trying to pull its own weight economically, why then persist in punishing the small private sector, which is where virtually all of the NI aviation industry is situated, and still expect them to grow and expand to take away a little of the dependence on Treasury in London. The big irony is that it is an arguably outdated, Government supported, fat-cat organisation in Dublin which is exerting the pressure on NI air transport. A bit short-sighted all round, to say the least, surely?
I believe the UK were one of the first movers to think about hammering the travel and holiday industry well back into the nineties, and long before ROI ever thought like many other European countries about applying a tax of this kind. Sure they had a tax in the south of Ireland for a short period of time but at no stage during that period was the UK/NI exempt from a tax.
Agree with much of your second point. But the simple question is - if NI is to have any hope of trying to pull its own weight economically, why then persist in punishing the small private sector, which is where virtually all of the NI aviation industry is situated, and still expect them to grow and expand to take away a little of the dependence on Treasury in London. The big irony is that it is an arguably outdated, Government supported, fat-cat organisation in Dublin which is exerting the pressure on NI air transport. A bit short-sighted all round, to say the least, surely?
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Firstly to say I am in favour of abolition of the tax and for an equal footing in terms of competing with Dublin it should be out.
However, apart from retaining United as our scheduled route hitherto (yes I know VS are coming for a few months),what tangible benefits has the acting of this tax brought? Have we seen lower fares? Have we seen significant growth in passenger numbers....?
On the face of the data, it would seem difficult based on the experience to date of the tax not being in place to argue for its non return. An economic view ..
The question is would United really withdraw ? And with a permanent abolition would we see new services ex Belfast ?
However, apart from retaining United as our scheduled route hitherto (yes I know VS are coming for a few months),what tangible benefits has the acting of this tax brought? Have we seen lower fares? Have we seen significant growth in passenger numbers....?
On the face of the data, it would seem difficult based on the experience to date of the tax not being in place to argue for its non return. An economic view ..
The question is would United really withdraw ? And with a permanent abolition would we see new services ex Belfast ?
Join Date: Apr 2012
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It seems for all the routes announced over the last couple of years, there is at least an equal number of nearly stories where one just couldn't get over the line in terms of support. The best example of what an alternative approach might be is Dublin, which is backed by the state and is consequently doing rather well. We need to get there soon or the Scots and Welsh will scupper any chance we have of getting connecting TA pax from the mainland.
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Exactly Watcher. All it will take is positivity from Stormont folk.... lets hope they wake up soon. No doubt DUB will be the island's main airport but there is scope for BFS to do very well too.
Join Date: Sep 2011
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APD
Why not just reduce vat on airline tickets or capital costs for the tourist sector. Get rid of APD by steth. An irish solution to an irish question to quote whoever said it. Creative accounting is probably required
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Giving the NI gov the power over APD forces some challenging choices.
Doing nothing whilst blaming Westminster for all economic woes (the basis of NI economic policy for decades) is not such an easy option.
Ultimately if you get rid of APD in NI, the lost revenue has to be found from elsewhere or funding for another service needs to be cut.
Now APD is a progressive tax as it is paid more by wealthier people - business class pays more; wealthier people have more holidays, poor people who can't afford foreign holidays don't pay it at all etc - so it is a fair tax.
That's not the same as saying that it should even exist for economic growth reasons BUT the fact that it already exists and is a valuable source of revenue makes it far from a 'no-brainer' as some on this forum would believe - it's an aviation forum after all.
The question facing Stormont amounts to:
Is it fair to get rid of APD so that wealthier people don't have to pay as much to get to their villas in Southern Spain but, at the same time, cuts to government spending due to reduced revenues mean that those in more need have to suffer?
Glad I don't have to make that call.
Doing nothing whilst blaming Westminster for all economic woes (the basis of NI economic policy for decades) is not such an easy option.
Ultimately if you get rid of APD in NI, the lost revenue has to be found from elsewhere or funding for another service needs to be cut.
Now APD is a progressive tax as it is paid more by wealthier people - business class pays more; wealthier people have more holidays, poor people who can't afford foreign holidays don't pay it at all etc - so it is a fair tax.
That's not the same as saying that it should even exist for economic growth reasons BUT the fact that it already exists and is a valuable source of revenue makes it far from a 'no-brainer' as some on this forum would believe - it's an aviation forum after all.
The question facing Stormont amounts to:
Is it fair to get rid of APD so that wealthier people don't have to pay as much to get to their villas in Southern Spain but, at the same time, cuts to government spending due to reduced revenues mean that those in more need have to suffer?
Glad I don't have to make that call.
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Wealthy people flying to their villa in Spain, pay £13 in tax. When they fly on business, the business pays, so they pay £0 in tax.
Poorer people flying to GB for a holiday, pay £26 in tax. When they fly to GB to work, they personally pay £26 in tax.
...that really doesn't sound like a progressive tax to me!
Poorer people flying to GB for a holiday, pay £26 in tax. When they fly to GB to work, they personally pay £26 in tax.
...that really doesn't sound like a progressive tax to me!
