Josep Ferrà, co-parliamentary spokesperson for Més, said on Monday that his party welcomed the Spanish government's intention to introduce an air transport tax. However, he added that it would be necessary to consider the situation in island regions, where there is no alternative to air travel.
At the party's press conference ahead of Tuesday's parliament session, Ferrà hoped that the tax would be brought in without pressures being applied by "interested lobbies". "Reducing the flow of flights is necessary", but he stressed the fact that air travel in the Balearics "is not just for tourism".
* The likelihood is that the Balearics and the Canaries will have some exemption from this tax. When it was first raised in January, the minister for ecological transition, Teresa Ribera, had to make a swift clarification. The tax would only apply where there are alternative means of transport, in particular the AVE high-speed trains. Ferries aren't considered to be an alternative; not for the rapid movement of significantly greater numbers of travellers, that is.
Such an exemption may only apply to domestic flights. International flights from Palma, Ibiza and Minorca could well be taxed. There is no indication as yet as to what the rate of tax would be.
Last summer, the French government announced that it would be introducing an air transport "eco-tax". For economy flights within France and from French airports to EU destinations, this is 1.50 euros added to the price of the ticket; three euros outside the EU. The tax won't apply to incoming flights from other countries.
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