RYANAIR CALLS ON UK GOVERNMEN

RNS Number : 6817V

Ryanair Holdings PLC

15 July 2009

 



RYANAIR CALLS ON UK GOVERNMENT TO SCRAP £10 TRAVEL TAX AS BAA AIRPORTS’ TRAFFIC FALLS 6% IN JUNE

        WHILE RYANAIR’S TRAFFIC RISES 13% IN JUNE

Ryanair, the World's favourite airline, today (15th July 2009) called on the UK Government to scrap its suicidal £10 APD travel tax after the BAA Airports' June traffic fell by 6% to just 12.7m - 800,000 fewer passengers than June 2008.  While the UK's traffic and tourism declines Ryanair's June traffic grew by 13% to a new monthly record of 5.8m passengers (up 700,000 on June 2008). 

Passengers	June '08	June '09	Fall/Rise
BAA Apts	13.5m	12.7m	-800,000 (- 6%)
Ryanair	5.1m	5.8m	+700,000 (+13%)

Ryanair believes that the UK's traffic and tourism decline is a direct result of the Government's £10 APD tourist tax and the high/increasing charges imposed on passengers by the BAA's monopoly airports.  Ryanair called again on Gordon Brown's Government to follow the recent example of the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments all of whom have scrapped tourist taxes and/or reduced airport charges to zero in order to stimulate tourism.  

Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said:

'Ryanair continues to grow rapidly as consumers switch from BA's high fares and fuel surcharges to Ryanair's low fares. Our June traffic grew by 13% or 700,000 to a new monthly record of 5.8 million passengers, while traffic at the UK's BAA Monopoly Airports fell by 6% or 800,000 fewer passengers than in June 2008. 

'Gordon Brown should now follow the example of the Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish governments, stop taxing tourists and start welcoming them.  Ryanair has already announced a freeze on growth from the UK.  Britain's traffic and tourism losses will continue to collapse if the Government's £10 APD tourist tax is not scrapped urgently.'

Ends.                                                                       15th July 2009

For further information

please contact:                                                    Stephen McNamara        Pauline McAlester

                                                                             Ryanair Ltd                      Murray Consultants

                                                                             Tel: [phone]        Tel. [phone]

 

END

 

 

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