KLM’S CONNECTING TRAFFIC IS EXEMPT DESPITE BEING THE BIGGEST POLLUTERS

Following yesterday’s announcement by the Dutch Govt of plans to raise its fake “eco tax” to almost €30 per ticket from 2023, Ryanair, Europe’s no. 1 airline, has today (9^th Sept) condemned the Dutch Govt’s extortionate fake “eco tax”, which illogically exempts KLM’s most polluting connecting passengers who emit more than double the CO₂ emissions of those passengers flying on Ryanair’s cleaner, greener point-to-point services. Clearly the Dutch Govt should study an “Environment for Dummies”book to understand that two connecting flights over Schiphol emit more than double the emissions of one point-to-point flight. Yet the Dutch Govt’s fake “eco tax” exempts KLM’s biggest polluters who are these connecting passengers.

The Dutch Govt falsely claims that this 250% tax hike is part of their ‘green agenda’ yet they fail to reward eco efficient airlines, like Ryanair, who have invested over $20bn in new greener/cleaner “Gamechanger” aircraft, which reduce noise by 40% and cut emissions by 16%. Instead, this Dutch Govt’s skyway robbery is designed to further protect their flag carrier, KLM, who has already trousered €3.4bn in State Aid, but whose connecting passengers unfairly evade this fake “eco tax” (despite being the biggest polluters) at the expense of the Dutch citizens/visitorsand the environment.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said:

“It is inexplicable that the Dutch Govt are imposing this fake “eco tax” on Dutch citizens/visitors flying point-to-point to/from Holland while exempting KLM’s most polluting passengers, who are those taking connecting flights through Schiphol (most of whom fly with KLM), even though their travel creates more than double the eco emissions than those flying on Ryanair’s greener point-to-point flights.

This fake “eco tax” does nothing for the environment but will irreparably damage Dutch tourism and regional airports, like Eindhoven and Maastricht, by making them even more expensive than EU competitor airports, as well as costing thousands of jobs at Dutch airports. Dutch citizens/visitors already face an energy and cost-of-living crisis without being hit with this extortionate but fake “eco tax” to fill the Dutch Govt’s coffers, while protecting KLM and exempting its most polluting passengers.  

The Dutch Govt should scrap this fake “eco tax” and do something useful, like introduce airport charging schemes which reward eco efficient airlines, like Ryanair, and penalise eco polluters like KLM.”