2024-10-30 13:18:00
The amount of the tax (which also applies to Transavia flights) triples for domestic and European flights in Economy class and can reach 120 euros for long-haul flights in Business and Première.
If you plan to book a trip with Air France (but also Transavia or KLM) for next year, and you focus on the details of the price, you will have the (bad) surprise to see that the solidarity tax applied on Tickets have already increased.
The government wants triple the tax revenue solidarity on plane tickets (TSBA), which today stands at 460 million euros, in order to find new revenue within the framework of the 2025 Budget. This increase would come into force on January 1.
However, the principle of this tax has not yet been adopted by Parliament. But this does not prevent Air France from already applying the increase to tickets sold today for flights after January 1, 2025.
8 euros more on a Paris-Nice
BFM Business verified this by simulating the purchase of a ticket for a Paris-Nice flight: on the detailed summary of pricing (image below), we can clearly read: “surplus linked to the solidarity tax: 8.37 euros.
When questioned, the airline confirms and explains that “this increase (in the tax, editor’s note) would come into force for transport from January 1, 2025, and would also apply to tickets already issued for trips from this date” . Air France therefore chose to take the lead for cash flow reasons.
“Given the considerable nature of this increase, having to pay an uncollected tax to the French State would have a significant financial impact for the Air France-KLM group,” explains a spokesperson.
“Also, the Air France KLM Group has decided to pass on this increase immediately to tickets sold for trips from January 1, 2025, without waiting for the final adoption of the finance bill,” he continues. .
Regularization in the event of rejection by Parliament
The company also details the increases depending on destinations and classes.
- For domestic flights (including overseas territories), intra-EU flights and within the European Economic Area, the scale will increase from 2.63 to 9.50 euros for Economy and Premium cabins and 20.27 to 30 euros for the Business cabin.
- For other flights of less than 5,500 km, the scale will increase from 7.51 to 15 euros for Economy and Premium cabins and 63.07 to 80 euros for Business and La Première cabins.
- For all flights over 5,500 km, the scale will increase from 7.51 to 40 euros for Economy and Premium cabins and 63.07 to 120 euros for Business and La Première cabins.
If by chance the increase in the solidarity tax was not adopted, or if its scale was modified, “the companies in the group will carry out a regularization so that the amount collected is equal to the amount actually due for the tax of solidarity”, assures Air France.
Companies stand up against the tax
A few days ago, the boss of Air France-KLM described this increase as a “shock” for his group and “a new hard blow for the entire sector”.
“If this taxation project were implemented, it would have a significant impact on the competitiveness of our companies, Air France, KLM and Transavia,” warned Benjamin Smith.
For Bertrand Godinot, director of Easyjet for France, “the middle classes, SMEs or students will soon no longer have access to affordable short and medium-haul flights, but taking the plane should not be reserved for a elite”.
The low-cost airline has also commissioned a survey showing that 57% of those questioned reject this measure. For 71%, its primary aim is to enable the government to quickly replenish state coffers. Only 27% believe that this measure has an environmental intention.
The entire sector is strong wind against this probable increase in taxes. Fnam (National Federation of Aviation and its Professions) and the Union of French Airports (UAF) have united to denounce the “devastating effects” of this measure.
For the French Aeronautical and Space Industries Group (Gifas), these measures “will be to the detriment of the French flag and its territories”, they “will reduce our tourist attractiveness and will put a sudden stop to the reindustrialization of the sector”.
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