Faced with the government's desire to increase taxes on plane tickets, Ryanair is threatening to stop serving ten French airports. What to fear “a social breakdown”, warns the Union of French Airports this Thursday, November 21.
The bullying is barely hidden. According to the Union of French Airports (UAF), Ryanair's threat to stop serving ten French regional airports augurs a «social coffers»she warned this Thursday, November 21, urging the government to abandon its project “unreasonable” increase in taxes on air transport. “We believe that this is not a threat, it is information” intended for public authorities, declared the president of the UAF, Thomas Juin. The government “will not be able to say, when the airlines are going to close and when the social plans are going to be triggered at the airports, that he did not know”he argued.
Tripling of the solidarity tax
In search of funds to reduce a larger-than-expected budget deficit, the government included in its 2025 finance bill (PLF) a tripling of the solidarity tax on plane tickets and an increase in the taxation of passengers on private jets, for a total of one billion euros. Good news for finances and the climate, since air transport is responsible for 7% of the country's carbon footprint, partly due to its more affordable price than some rail journeys.
But Ryanair, the leading European air carrier by number of passengers, does not see it that way. The company announced Wednesday that it plans to reduce its capacity “from and to French regional airports up to 50% from January 2025 if the French government continues its short-sighted project”which will affect, according to it, the profitability of its lines.
The Irish low-cost company mentioned the number of ten French installations potentially affected by the end of its operations, without naming them. It currently serves 22, including two near the Paris region, Beauvais (Oise) and Vatry (Marne), a priori not affected.
For Thomas June, “the government does not measure the social coffers what this will represent in the region, not only for the airports themselves, but for the windfall that it represents in the tourism sector”. Some platforms “spill tens of millions of euros into small areas every year”he added.
The Minister of Transport “not impressed”
“This bill is really unreasonable for air transport in France”insisted Thomas Juin. “The government will destroy in a few weeks, and I weigh my words carefully, what the regional airports have built in 20 years” by attracting low-cost companies, according to him.
Earlier Thursday, Minister Delegate for Transport François Durovray on the contrary downplayed Ryanair's announcements. “We are quite used to the warning shots from the boss of Ryanair which he does not carry out”he said on RMC: “It doesn’t impress me that much.”
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