Ryanair, Hungary’s largest airline, today (8 June) called on the Hungarian Govt to scrap its misguided “extra profits” tax on airlines and Hungarian citizens. This tax of between €10 and €25 per departing passenger from 1 July 2022, will irreparably damage Hungarian tourism, connectivity, traffic and jobs.

It is beyond stupid that the Hungarian Govt is imposing an “extra profits” tax on the airline industry when profits are non-existent. Ryanair, Hungary’s largest airline, has just announced losses, yet the Govt is proposing a tax on “extra profits”, which are nonexistent due to Covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This unjustified tax on the airline sector (which has been heavily loss-making for the last two years) will be damaging for Hungarian tourism and the economy, which is dependent on air carriers to provide connectivity, tourism and jobs.

Ryanair’s Jason McGuinness said:

“The illogical decision of the Hungarian Govt to introduce an “extra profits” tax on airlines (who are loss-making due to Covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine) is badly timed and badly designed. This tax on nonexistent profits, is damaging for the Hungarian economy, the restoration of connectivity and tourism jobs.

The Hungarian airline tax which ranges between €10 to €25 and applies to all departing Hungarian passengers from 1 July 2022, is an unjustified tax on aviation and Hungarian citizens. While other airports and countries in Europe are lowering airport charges to recover traffic and jobs post Covid, this ill-timed and ill-advised “extra profits” tax which inexplicably compares the loss-making aviation industry with hugely profitable oil and energy companies, has instantly made Hungary uncompetitive and less attractive to airlines and tourists.

As Ryanair recovers from the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, it will be forced to move growth capacity to those countries that are working to restore traffic. Ryanair calls on the Hungarian Govt to immediately scrap this misguided aviation tax before irreparable damage is done to Hungarian connectivity, tourism and jobs.”