Maginley Challenges IATA Figures

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Wednesday, 21 March 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St John's - Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister John Maginley has said the International Air Transportation Authority (IATA) is incorrect about the final total in taxes for passenger leaving and entering Antigua & Barbuda.

IATA wrote to the minister on February 27 about the new airport administration tax. IATA Assistant Director of Government & Infrastructure Affairs Cyriel Kronenburg labelled the move “excessive,” and warned that it could have negative ripple effects on the tourism economy.

The association also contended that the new fees would see both inbound and outgoing airport passengers paying up to US$75 after inclusion of the embarkation tax.

“The total given by IATA is factually incorrect, and the general comment that they made that Antigua is now higher than the rest of the region is clearly not correct,” the minister said. “I don't know where IATA is getting their information from but they certainly didn’t get it from the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Tourism.”

According to Maginley, Antigua & Barbuda’s total travel taxes are US$63.75, and are only higher than those in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

He provided a list of airport tax charges for several destinations across the Caribbean, which the Ministry of Finance helped him compile.

The figures put Anguilla at US$97.35, while Barbados is at US$82.12; Dominica is at US$71.50. In Grenada the total travel tax is US$76.65; St. Kitts and Nevis is US$105.50; St Lucia is US$97.00; St Maarten is US$94.25; St Vincent is US$62.45, and Trinidad and Tobago is US$69.75.

Maginley pointed out that the issue of Antigua raising taxes is in keeping with the upgrade to improved facilities.

“It is important that we have enough money to cover the things that we want to do," he said. "But it is certainly not at the extreme that IATA is expressing."


As for the comparison to Antigua’s introduction of a new travel tax and its open opposition to the UK’s decision to do the same, the minister noted that the UK and US governments are demanding better security, facilities, and overall standards from regional destinations.

“Where is that money going to come from?" Maginley asked. "We need more radar equipment, more security, and better baggage checks. They are making more requirements of us. The question is not that you don't raise. The question is how much, and is it discretionary.”

He contended that the Air Passenger Duty (APD) is, in itself, higher that Antigua’s overall travel tax of US$62.95.

See related stories:

IATA Against New Airport Tax

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