Ryanair CEO renews tirade against Brown
Budget airline chief keeps barking at Brown’s heels
As Dublin-based budget airline
Ryanair released
third-quarter net profit figures of £31.7m, a rise of 30%, it renewed its attack
on the chancellor’s decision to raise air
passenger
departure taxes.
Ryanair yesterday announced record profits despite high fuel costs and wasted
no time in renewed its attacks on chancellor Gordon Brown’s increase in the tax.
Michael
O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, again went on the offensive.
He said: ‘The recent hysteria in the UK about the impact of aviation on
climate change has been misguided and misplaced. Aviation accounts for less than
1.6% of greenhouse gas emissions and we expect, in time, that the media and
governments will focus on the causes of 98% of greenhouse gas emissions and not
the aviation industry.’
He denounced the increase in UK departure tax from £5 to £10 as ‘another tax
on tourists’.
‘The fact that it represents a 35% rate of tax on Ryanair’s average fare of
£28 shows how regressive, unfair and penal it is,’ he added.
Further reading:
Ryanair CEO wants end to airline tax hikes
E&Y slams air passenger tax increase