Airlines protest planned Dutch flight tax increases

Airlines Ryanair, Corendon, and Transavia have expressed strong opposition to the Dutch government's plan to increase flight taxes. The Jetten cabinet intends to raise the tax in January from the current 30 euros per person to 49 euros for medium-haul flights, and up to 72 euros for long-haul flights.

Ryanair has criticized the tax as a ‘fake eco-tax’ and stated it will not pursue growth in the Dutch market until the measure is repealed. The airline noted that the current policy causes regional airports to lose traffic to neighboring countries like Germany and has already led to its withdrawal from Maastricht Aachen Airport. Ryanair also pointed out that transfer passengers at Schiphol are exempt, which it claims unfairly targets regular Dutch citizens and tourists.

Corendon and Transavia echoed these concerns, arguing that the tax makes the Netherlands uncompetitive compared to surrounding nations. Corendon stated that travelers are being treated like ‘cash cows’ and noted that they are already expanding service from Düsseldorf to accommodate passengers avoiding Dutch costs. Transavia warned that the tax creates an uneven playing field within Europe, potentially harming the Dutch economy and employment.