The Spanish government is planning to introduce new tax proposals in 2022 that will impact airlines and tourism. Currently the Spanish government has not decided on the specific form that the tax would take or when exactly it would come into force but the idea is to for the tax to compensate for the aviation industry’s negative effects on the environment. The proposals were first raised prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but airlines are now objecting strongly to any tax raises while the industry remains devastated by the health crisis.
Javier Gándara, president of ALA, the association that brings together many airlines who operate in Spain, explained the effects that the tax could have. He said, “A possible tax on commercial aviation will have a marginal effect on emissions reduction and will be devastating for tourism, employment and connectivity at a time when the industry is fighting for its survival.”