Here we go again: new aviation tax ?

[sn26567]

AIRLINES APPLAUD BELGIAN TICKET TAX DECISION

Government’s change of heart a victory for common sense and for consumers, says AEA

The Association of European Airlines, representing Europe’s most important airlines, has welcomed the decision of the Belgian government to scrap their proposals for an airline passenger tax. Said AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus: “this decision brings a note of sanity to the ticket tax debate. It has become fashionable for governments to plunder the airline industry and its customers, and cynically pretend they are doing so for the sake of the environment”.

It should come as no surprise, continued Mr Schulte-Strathaus, that the U-turn should have been prompted by the realisation that aviation brings jobs and prosperity, and is an essential part of national and regional infrastructure. “Taxing a national asset is just plain crazy”, he said.

The Belgian authorities are not alone in having second thoughts about taxing air passengers. In 2007 the Danish passenger tax was withdrawn, as the government recognised the benefits to the country and its citizens that would flow from improved access to air travel, while earlier this month Malta rescinded the tax on Maltese-originating passengers – for whom an air transport network is more than an asset, it is an absolute necessity.

AEA press release 7 November 2008

[LX-LGX]

It seems that around 9 December 2008, Belgium’s minister of Transport has proposed a new aviation tax to the 3 Regions. The 3 Regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region) have already told the minister they oppose the tax.

Minister Etienne Schouppe says the tax is needed to cover the CAA costs.

Proposal : 1 euro per departing passenger and 1 euro per outgoing cargo-ton.

Main source – in French, La Libre:
http://tinyurl.com/8jwnge

Short article in HLN.be:
http://tinyurl.com/9cx87c

- - -

Belgian airports had some 22.000.000 passengers in 2008.

Cargo, 2008, BRU only : 800.000 cargo-ton

[Acid-drop]

How can he again dare to try ?
It's clear that the regions will fight to hell to not have this tax.
This is deadborn.

[LX-LGX]

Few hours after the announcement by La Libre, the minister already denies he's working on a new tax. However, he says, there's a study about a new way of funding Belgium's CAA, more related to the costs. Hence the rumours.

Strange, as the Walloon Region has sent a letter to the minister on 19th Dec 2008, to advise him that the Walloon Region opposes the new tax (this letter is quoted in the article in La Libre).

Who is not telling the truth here ? (Politicians don't lie : they sometimes don't tell the truth).

Source for the denying by Schouppe: HLN.be:
http://tinyurl.com/7455xr

(Yes, I do know that Schouppe is "only" a secretary of State, not a Minister. But if the both Anciaux and Landuyt were allowed to call themselves minister, Schouppe also deserves that).

[Vinnie-Winnie]

Why can't Belgium make an agreement with one of its neighbours to share regulatory costs? Don't see why the French, Dutch or even UK CAA could not do the work for us! Wouldn't be cheap for sure, but certainly cheaper than it is nowadays!

If you look here:

http://www.belgocontrol.be/belgoweb/pub ... y~airspace

When they say that " that the goal set up an airspace among the six States where air traffic management is organised irrespective of national borders but according to operational needs", surely regulation could be done across borders...

[jan_olieslagers]

Vinnie you seem to be mixing it up. This is about the "Bestuur der Luchtvaart", the Belgian civil aviation administration. Nothing to do with Belgocontrol.
But yes, there is an initiative to bring this under European harmonisation, too: it is called EASA.

[Vinnie-Winnie]

You are right didn't explain myself properly! What I was saying is that BE CAA should be merged with another one as this would create huge synergies which would at the end save a lot of money to the government! Imposing a tax to pay for the CAA is ridiculous!

Better force airlines to enter to join the European Emissions trading scheme! Now that would be good and useful!

[jan_olieslagers]

Thanks for not taking offense, Vinnie. Even so you still don't get it: national administrations are for implementing national rules and laws. You can't merge/join the rules, hence you can't merge/join the administrations either.

The only hope is the establishment of European rules and laws, which would then be implemented on a European level. All member countries having to agree before that they will automatically accept these European rules for their own terittory / airspace, without need for confirming them in national laws.

As I understand it, this is the idea behind EASA; which is to take the place of JAA/JAR. Not very sure, though, could anyone comment/confirm/elaborate?

[saratoga]

I personally think that people are more prepared to give 1€ in a collective fund used for environmental purposes than 1€ tax rise for those crooks in Brussels.

So why not raising ticket prices with 1€ for charity??

[Vinnie-Winnie]

Thanks for not taking offense, Vinnie. Even so you still don't get it: national administrations are for implementing national rules and laws. You can't merge/join the rules, hence you can't merge/join the administrations either.

I struggle to imagine what kind of rules would be Be specific....

- Aircrafts conform to EU standards
- Airline operations conform to International standards
- Competition rules are at EU level.

What exactly remains Belgium specific?

[Acid-drop]

What exactly remains Belgium specific?

Nothing. And that's good.
Especially because there is less and less Belgium everyday.

[Vinnie-Winnie]

What exactly remains Belgium specific?

Nothing. And that's good.
Especially because there is less and less Belgium everyday.

Well that is a fairly political statement. Surely there must be something otherwise Belgians CAA raison-d'etre wouldnt exist!

Jan?

[jan_olieslagers]

Vinnie I'm afraid I cannot say it any clearer. Even if many rules are the same in many countries, European or not, in today's situation they must be implemented by national law. One example that I think might be realistic: circuit altitude will be minimum 1000 feet. So first there is this general idea, probably originating from the USA or heaven knows where; it has to be implemented for Belgium either by a law or a decree ("Koninklijk Besluit", "Arrete Royal"), then someone has to distribute it to the flying community. This is the job of the civil aviation administration.

Another job for them is the issuing of licenses, some licenses are European, others are Belgian.

And one moreis keeping up the civil register, registrations are national, I can hardly imagine an OO-registration to be assigned in London or Berlin. And I'm afraid EU-registrations are a couple of years away...

Last but not least, the national CAA's are in charge of their national AIP.

As more and more of their responsabilities are FIXED on a European level (EASA), the implementation may be done by a European agency too. But the national civil aviation authorities have a long life before them.

Some more things that are not harmonised across Europe:
-) cruising levels for non-controlled flights; the UK still has a true quadrantal system, continental Europe only distinguishes eastbound/westbound
-) ULM minimum equipment: German law requires a ballistic parachute, few other countries do
-) off-aerodrome landing: France allows landing an ultralight on any terrain, if the owner consents; most other countries only allow operations at registered aerodromes.

[Vinnie-Winnie]

Thanks Jan!

Didn't know all these things! Nevertheless I still believe it is possible with a bit of goodwill!

[PPH]

It seems that a political plan was made to have 100% recup of cost for the BE-CAA-services. BE-CAA made a proposal for a new scale of charges. Beside the mentioned PAX-tax, an increase of 100 to 500% or even more for the different services (exams, licenses, CoA/ARC, maintenance programs, approvals for RF/FTO, Part M Subp. F/G/I, airfields, etc.) This might be the final killer for the light/recreational/sports aviation. If this can not be stopped, the only way to survive is to escape to other EU-member states with an "air sport friendly" attitude. So be aware, study and react...