German tax will have reverse environmental effect, says ELFAA
The European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) is totally opposed to a proposal by the German government to introduce a tax on each individual airline passenger from 1 January 2011. The association warned that while the supposed objective of the proposed tax is to provide incentives for environmentally-efficient behaviour, there is “negligible evidence” that it will have the desired effect. “The unavoidable consequence of a per passenger tax means that empty aircraft will pay no tax, whilst more efficient aircraft that fly at full capacity will be unfairly penalised,” said ELFAA secretary-general John Hanlon. “Therefore, far from its stated objective, this law will actually incentivise inefficient operators and distort competition in favour of inefficient carriers.”
