Scottish air tax plans delayed again
Plans for Scotland to have its own, lower air tax have been delayed again, this time until at least April 2020.
The Scottish Government wants to cut the new tax by 50%, before eventually phasing it out entirely in a bid to increase the number of flights to and from Scotland and boost its economy.
But the plans have been tied up in legal issues, relating to problems with state aid rules, and ministers now say they will not be resolved until next year.
Scottish Economy Minister Kate Forbes said together with the ‘continued uncertainty around Brexit’ the introduction of the new tax would have to be deferred beyond April 2020.
"We are doing all we can to work with airlines and airports to help grow the direct routes which are important for our tourism sector and Scottish businesses," she added.
Responding to the news, a joint statement was issued by Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the industry association that represents 13 UK-registered carriers, Derek Provan, CEO of AGS Airports Ltd, owner of Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, and Gordon Dewar, CEO of Edinburgh Airport.
It said: "The Scottish Government needs to be straight with industry This was a cast-iron manifesto commitment and they have now failed to implement it two years in a row, and in the meantime it is Scottish tourism and connectivity that is suffering, as we’ve seen with Norwegian pulling out of Edinburgh and lost routes at both Glasgow and Aberdeen.
"The message from airlines and airports is clear – either do what you have promised and get on with it sooner rather than later or be upfront with us that it is never going to happen."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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