Ryanair says air passenger duty cut not enough to kickstart UK’s tourism recovery

Ryanair has said that the air passenger duty (APD) cut is not enough to kickstart the UK’s tourism recovery.

Ryanair has said that the UK government’s recent decision to lower APD on domestic flights starting from summer 2023 is “neither sufficient nor timely enough to kickstart the UK’s tourism recovery”.

In a statement announcing a new route between Manchester and Cork, it “welcomed” Rishi Sunak’s move, which will see APD halved on domestic flights because it will only be charged on one leg – a long-term ask from many in the travel industry.

The chief executive of Europe’s biggest budget airline has called for Air Passenger Duty (APD) to be suspended for two to three years until “traffic levels return to pre-Covid normal”.

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Speaking to MPs on the Transport Select Committee in April, Michael O’Leary said: “Aviation has been devastated much harder and for much longer than almost any other industry. Most of the airlines and airports have seen a 90 per cent reduction in traffic over the past 12 months. We’re not looking for more subsidies. What we need is incentives to get people back travelling.”

O’Leary called for Air Passenger Duty (APD) to be suspended for two to three years.

Ryanair promises 5-day refund turnaround

Ryanair has promised to repay customers within five days for cancelled flights in a renewed customer service push after criticism about how it handled refunds at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline said refunds would be processed into a new online wallet function within 24 hours of a flight being cancelled.

This will allow customers to book new flights immediately or opt to get the funds back within five working days.

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