Ryanair unimpressed at environment tax

Ryanair has called on British Chancellor Gordon Brown to withdraw the £10 (€15.30) APD tax that will have to be paid by passengers in the UK from next month.

The charge, which has been increased from £5 (€7.60), is a response from the British government to increasing fears that the aviation industry is a significant contributor to global warming.

Ryanair’s head of communications, Peter Sherrard, said: "Greedy Gordon’s £10 (€15.30) APD is highway robbery, which will see him steal an additional £1bn (€1.5bn) per annum from ordinary passengers.

“Aviation accounts for just 1.6% of GHG emissions and is neither the cause of nor the solution to climate change. Ryanair’s passengers are already doing their bit by flying Europe’s greenest and cleanest airline.”