I recently asked Barry Jackson of Continental Airlines how much Airport Departure Tax we are all paying for a seat when flying in his excellent back cabin to Newark.
I was staggered to hear the rates....Barry please let us all know the details. Also Barry, how does this compare with your what colleague Yvonne Muldoon's customers are facing out of Dublin.
The ADT was supposed to be a 'Green Tax' to be deployed in environmental initiatives. I'd like to hear from HMRC just what the tax is being used for.
Meanwhile, it would appear that the outward looking businesses of Northern Ireland are being penalised or forced to drive to Dublin.
I for one know just how important the direct route to USA from Belfast is and I'm prepared to pay a small premium to support the service. But these are tough times and sometimes it is too much to swallow.
Also, I've been calling for a common approach by the US Immigration Service to the island of Ireland - let's have clearance on this side of the Atlantic in Belfast as we enjoy out of Dublin and Shannon.
This fantastic and (I believe) unique service speeds up entry to USA on the other side of the pond and facilitates the business passenger making important connections to smaller cities. This is good for the US too and should be supported by the SME community in middle America.
Views please...
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