Airlines attack Stolpe over jet fuel tax call

Europe's airline industry association (AEA) has urged the German government against introducing unilateral taxes on jet fuel for domestic flights. The association was responding to a statement made last week by German transport minister Manfred Stolpe, who backed the idea to provide a level competitive playing field for railways.

Mr Stolpe made his comments in the context of current discussions within Germany's governing coalition over the future of its ecological tax reform programme. Environmental groups are campaigning for tax on jet fuel on the back of rapid growth in the low-cost aviation sector (EED 02/09/02).