Vienna debates scrapping flight tax as passengers switch to Bratislava

Vienna’s Chamber of Commerce has backed Mayor Michael Ludwig’s call to reconsider Austria’s flight tax, as more travellers use Bratislava airport to find cheaper flights, ORF reports. The Greens oppose scrapping the tax and want a price cap on public transport instead.

Some travellers from Vienna are now starting their holidays with a bus ride from the Erdberg bus terminal to Bratislava airport. The journey takes about an hour and costs around 10 euros. Passengers told ORF that lower airfares were the main reason for making the trip.

One traveller said two tickets to Albania cost 35 euros from Bratislava, compared with 70 to 80 euros from Vienna. Another said flying with Ryanair to Paphos, Cyprus, saved her 300 euros compared with her usual route from Vienna to Larnaca with Austrian Airlines.

Wizz Air’s withdrawal from Vienna has also contributed to the shift, according to a traveller interviewed at Erdberg. Bratislava airport now serves 29 destinations, a record number, with budget airlines Wizz Air and Ryanair operating there, ORF reported.

Austria charges a 12-euro levy per flight ticket, rising to 30 euros for flights of up to 350 kilometres. The Vienna Chamber of Commerce says the tax puts local businesses and Vienna airport at a competitive disadvantage. Ludwig has argued that scrapping it would strengthen the economy.

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research, known as WIFO, plans to publish a study on the airport at the end of November. WIFO economist Oliver Fritz said the levy raises ticket prices and may lead passengers to travel from elsewhere, adding that the economic impact must be weighed against environmental concerns, particularly climate protection.

Vienna Green Party leader Peter Kraus criticised Ludwig’s position, saying he wanted to make flying cheaper while bus, tram and train fares were rising. Kraus called instead for a price cap on public transport. Ludwig did not comment on Monday.