IATA boss rubbishes UK aviation stance
Tuesday, 10 Feb, 2011
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IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani lashed out at the APD tax, the UK government’s approach to aviation, the lack of a third runway at Heathrow and the airport’s rising charges at a meeting in London this week.
The IATA boss called the APD scheme potty, said it should be dumped and claimed air passengers were being punished in taxes for the banks’ recent behaviour and the fact they were not regulated.
He told an audience gathered at the capital’s Aviation Club: “Environmental policy should not be designed around paying the bills for the government’s failure to effectively regulate the financial sector.”
He added: “London Heathrow is becoming a secondary hub. Amsterdam has five runways. Paris, Madrid and soon Frankfurt will have four.”
Bisignani also roundly condemned the CAA for allowing Heathrow to up its passenger charges – which was recently cited as the reason why Bmi pulled its Glasgow service – and said the UK was becoming uncompetitive.
by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
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