Fawench to introduce new heights in socialist dribble

PARIS (AFX) - The French government will discuss tomorrow a plan by President Jacques Chirac to tax airline passengers up to 40 eur per ticket to help pay for health programmes in the world's poorest countries, according to a source close to the matter. The measure, which will be introduced as part of a finance bill, will be applied to every passenger boarding a flight from France, affecting all airlines, and will result in passengers paying a sliding-scale tax on their ticket, depending on the distance flown. Somebody taking an economy-class flight within Europe from a French airport would pay up to 1 eur for their outward journey. For flights in the same category farther afield, the tax will go up to 4 eur, said the source. In the case of business and first-class travellers, they will see the levy 'multiplied by 10,' he added. The French tax would not apply on flights inbound to France, he said. The source said that 'more than 70 countries' supported the idea behind the bill and that an international conference would be held in February 'with all the countries that back a contribution, whether it be voluntary or compulsory.' However, so far only the plan has only received public expressions of support from Britain, Brazil and Chile.


Can you believe these people??? Call this the French Railroad/Air France Subsidy act. The "solidarity" tax doesn't apply to upscale rail service such as Eurostar (used by the wealthy). The tax will have a much larger hit as a percent of overall ticket price on the budget airlines than it will on a full fare airline such as Air France. "Let's make sure and punish competition in the name of "saving the world"!!!