Airlines must pay €8 per passenger

Ryanair, Aer Lingus, and Aer Arann must pay the State €8 for each passenger they carried on short flights over a two-year period, the EU has ruled.

It could cost the airlines millions of euro but the ruling was welcomed by Ryanair, while Aer Lingus pointed out the tax raised revenue for the State, not the airline.

The Government escaped being hauled before the courts last year when it abolished the two-tier travel tax that levied €2 on each passenger flying less than 300km, and €10 from the rest.