The Netherlands – Air passengers who have booked flights scheduled for after 1 July and have paid ticket tax will have the tax refunded before this date, says the Dutch airline trade association BARIN.

The tax was introduced in July 2008 as an environmental measure to discourage the growth of air traffic. It met with stiff opposition, particularly from within the aviation industry where BARIN launched a campaign to have the tax abolished.

As part of a package of measures to combat the effects of the financial and economic crisis, the government announced in March the tax would no longer be levied as of 1 July. Passengers who had already booked flights scheduled for after that date would have the tax refunded.

Confusion arose because airlines failed to offer passengers clear assurances that they would receive their money back. The travel agents’ trade association ANVR has now announced that the money will be repaid to passengers as soon as it has been received.

The tax amounted to EUR 11.25 per ticket for flights within Europe and EUR 45 for long-distance flights.

Radio Netherlands / Expatica