NI Conservatives Economy Spokesman Johnny Andrews welcomes Ryanair’s announcement of new flights and jobs at Belfast International airport. However Andrews criticises the Executive for inaction on air passenger duty as DETI Minister Bell prevaricates over a cumbersome and costly air route development fund instead of reducing APD which would be far more effective and less bureaucratic.
Graham Keddie, Belfast International Airport's managing director, has criticised the Northern Ireland Executive, saying that bringing Ryanair to the airport had been achieved "against the drag of the regressive air passenger duty (APD)", a tax on short-haul flights. "Just think what we could do if our Stormont administration bought into our vision for in-bound tourism growth, new routes and thousands of jobs," he added.
Andrews said 'NI Conservatives have called on Stormont to abolish Air Passenger Duty and to create an Enterprise Zone at Belfast International Airport. The failure of the DUP and SF led Executive to act questions the claim that they are prioritising growth of the private sector.'
“The DUP and Sinn Fein are all talk and no action. The Conservative government has encouraged and allocated money in Northern Ireland to the setting up of Enterprise Zones, such as the one at Manchester Airport but Stormont has done next to nothing.”
Politicians,particularly from DUP, criticize the problems posed by Air Passenger Duty and yet Stormont has the opportunity to devolve APD and they choose to do nothing.”
“The problem is that the DUP and SF are not leaders and will not act radically to bolster our economy. Their primary goal in recent years has been simply to resist all change to welfare and preserve the status quo.”
“There is no APD in the Republic and all the main parties in Scotland seem to be moving towards cutting or abolishing APD. In recent years many local companies, particularly in construction, have been very good at winning new business in GB and beyond. Their reward for their enterprise seems to be indifference amongst our insular political masters.”