Ireland seeks tax payment from three airlines

The Irish Government is seeking €19 million in travel tax from Ryanair (€12m), Aer Lingus (€4m) and Aer Arann (€3m). Even though the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan announced in the budget that the Government plans to drop the controversial €3 per passenger charge from next April, it is still pursuing these airlines in the courts for the tax it is due as a result following a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling last year. However the airlines are opposing the payment demand. Although Ryanair argued successfully at the ECJ that was an illegal state aid, as the lower charge