Higher duties would do "untold economic damage" and represent a "tax grab" by governments, Mr O'Leary said after the meeting. He spoke in his capacity as chairman of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) lobby group, which said the session had been broadly positive. The heads of Deutsche Lufthansa, British Airways parent IAG and EasyJet also met with Ms Valean, who took over this month. Aviation finds itself increasingly in the firing line as the automotive sector and other industries take strides toward slashing CO2 output. Mr O'Leary said the plan to reform complex air traffic control systems must be implemented if Europe is at all serious about tackling the issue.

Source: Irish Independent December 11, 2019 02:37 UTC