Cut air tax tocity says chair

CUTTING the £13 air tax on short haul flights from Northern Ireland will open up huge opportunities from Londonderry and Donegal, according to the chairman of the Stormont Trade Committee.

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone made the comments during a debate in the Stormont Assembly.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) on short hop flights to NI currently adds up to a £13 tourist tax. In the Republic it costs just three euros.

Mr McGlone said: “With responsibility for the short-haul duty rate devolved to the Assembly, we could fully co-ordinate our policy on APD with our counterparts in Dublin to remove the disparity, not treat it as competition, as, frankly, we are too small to compete.

“Consider the opportunities that it opens up from Donegal to Derry. They are huge; we should take advantage of them. We actually should move with businesses; they are already taking advantage of those opportunities.”