Ireland a No-Fly Zone?

Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus has hit out at Irish policies regarding air traffic: "It doesn't take a genius to work out what will happen when you put a €10 surcharge on airfares in the middle of the worst recession on record - your traffic will go into free-fall. If this results in a massive hike in user fees, you have initiated a vicious spiral which, for the sake of the Irish economy and the travelling public, cannot be allowed to take hold." Strong words. But who is he?

Schulte-Strathaus is the Secretary General of the Association of European Airlines (AEA). And thus speaking for several of the most important airlines in Europe, amongst the 33 members are well-known names like Iberia, Lufthansa, Swiss, British Airways, Air France and Aer Lingus. And these are amongst the angry crowd gearing up for another Irish budget in December ... and further expected costs.

The situation of airlines is, to say the least, difficult: Just months after the introduction of the Irish air passenger tax, which has added € 10 to passenger journeys and contributed to a fall in passenger numbers at Irish airports of 15% this summer, comes the news that Ireland's air navigation provider will increase the fees it charges its airline customers by 17% next year. And we'll have to wait what more surprises the December budget might bring!

As the AEA so bluntly asked in a press release: "Ireland Determined to Become a No-Fly Zone?"