Myself and Denis O’Brien have something in common. We won’t have to pay the travel tax announced in Tueday’s Budget. Tipped off earlier today I’ve had a bit of a root (as you or maybe that should be only I do) and found the schedule regarding the imposition of the tax.

Air Travel Tax

An air travel tax applying to all departures from Irish airports will come into force on Monday 30 March 2009. The general rate applying will be €10 per passenger with a lower rate of €2 for shorter air journeys (those under 300 kms).

An indicative schedule listing the destinations from particular Irish airports to which the lower rate will apply is set out below. Other destinations from Irish airports in excess of 300kms will attract the €10 rate.

The Finance Bill will provide that the tax will be payable by the appropriate airport authority to the Revenue Commissioners in respect of passengers departing from Irish airports on and from 30 March 2009. In effect the airport authority will collect the tax from the airlines.

The air travel tax will not apply to

– passengers under two years
– disabled passengers and assisting persons
– aircraft with less than 20 passenger seats
– transit passengers
– members of the crew
– air services to and from Irish offshore islands
– aircraft departing airports that in the previous calendar year had less than 10,000
departing passengers.

I have no idea how disabled passengers are going to be able to indicate our disability and indeed how are airlines going to administer this? Are we all going to have to go for medicals before we travel?? Michael O’Leary doing fitness to travel examinations???

Take it away Frank