photograph courtesy of bees-knees

The heads of the European Union member countries are planning to install tax on the kerosene used by most airplanes.

The Austrian government is supporting this EU initiative. What will its eventual application mean, beyond the obvious fact that international air travel will become more expensive post-implementation? Add €40 to your one-way ticket from Vienna to Hamburg and you’ll begin to get a sense of how expensive short-haul air travel may become.

Motivated by ecological concerns, Environment Minister Josef Pröll has appealed to Austrians to take their vacations at home. His pronouncements have been met critically. Lauda Air chief—and former Formula 1 champion—Niki Lauda responded in a huff, saying that Pröll’s comments reminded him Eastern Bloc prohibitions against international travel.

And what is national carrier Austrian Airlines doing? They’re preparing to launch their own brand of cheap flights, with round-trip fares starting at €99. The Red Ticket promo can be booked for travel from March 25 onwards. Red Ticket fares are all-inclusive, with taxes and charges included in the fare.

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