RYANAIR CALLS ON GORDON BROWN TO REPEAL TRAVEL TAX

[White Cap]

Ryanair News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News Release
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

15.12.08
Ryanair Calls on Brown to Repeal Travel Tax

RYANAIR CALLS ON GORDON BROWN TO REPEAL TRAVEL TAX AS UK AIR TRAFFIC COLLAPSES BY 9% IN NOVEMBER
Ryanair, the UK’s largest passenger airline today (15th Dec) renewed its call today on Gordon Brown and his Government to repeal the unfair and regressive £10 visitor tax which has caused at steep decline in air passengers travelling to/from the UK’s major airports since its introduction. The BAA airport monopoly released November traffic figures which confirmed that passengers at the 7 main UK airports fell by 9% from 10.8m to 9.8m – the largest monthly decline since the New York terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Ryanair confirmed that there can be no doubt that the British economy and British tourism industry is losing visitors to other European countries who welcome visitors, not tax them.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said this morning:

“This unfair flat rate visitor tax is now doing more damage to Britain’s airports and tourism than the terrorist attacks of 9/11. A 9% collapse in November, means the loss of 1 million passengers and visitors, at a time when the UK economy is already in recession.

The British Government must realise that it can’t tax its way out of a recession. Ryanair calls again for the early repeal of this unfair and penal visitor tax, which at a flat rate of £10 represents almost 30% rate of tax for Ryanair’s average passenger (who pay an average fare of just over £30). This tax is defeating its purpose and the sooner it is repealed, the sooner Britain’s airports and Britain’s tourism industry can replace traffic collapse with tourism growth, making Britain a competitive tourism destination once again.”