Ryanair, Hungary’s No.1 airline, today (21 Apr) regrets that the Hungarian Constitutional Court has reversed its previous decision to accept Ryanair’s constitutional challenge of the Hungarian Govt’s failed and illogical “excess profits” tax on loss making airlines in Hungary. 

However, the Constitutional Court’s decision is of no consequence as the Hungarian Govt had already replaced its illogical “excess profits” tax on airlines, with an equally ridiculous fake “eco tax” of up to €32 per passenger! This flagrant attempt to dress up their money grab up as an “eco tax”, when it is just an excessive tax on tourism, visitors and Hungarian families. Point-to-point airlines like Ryanair already pay millions of euros every year under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme which covers emissions on flights to/from Hungary. The Hungarian Govt’s greenwashing is just a double taxation at a time when low-cost air access to/from Hungary is essential for the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy, which is suffering record inflation.

During a cost-of-living crisis in Hungary, these unjustified taxes do nothing but further squeeze Hungarian citizens/visitors and damage the Hungarian economy which is dependent on low fare air access and tourism. Ryanair already cancelled 8 routes and reduced frequencies on a further 7 routes from Budapest for Winter ’22 in direct response to the Hungarian Govt’s bizarre “excess profits” tax and its replacement fake “eco tax”.

A Ryanair Spokesperson said:

“We call again on the Hungarian Govt to scrap this stupid “eco tax” on flights to/from Hungary which will damage tourism and jobs, while penalizing Hungarian visitors and citizens at a time of record price inflation in Hungary.”