Among the innovations introduced in the Senate to the Cohesion decree there is one that closely concerns Calabria. Paragraph 3-bis provides that Starting from 1 August 2024, the municipal surcharge on passenger boarding rights on aircraft will not apply in the regional territory. Consequently, the Calabrian Municipalities are not due the transfers deriving from the collection of the additional tax and, in parallel, the Region provides for the annual compensation of the Municipalities concerned. For 2024, given that the additional tax will no longer be applied from 1 August, the Region will pay the State the sum of 5.5 million by 30 November 2024. In relation to the lost revenue deriving from boarding fees no longer due, it is provided that starting from the year 2025, the sum of 10 million per year will be transferred to INPS. INPS is in fact the recipient of 77 percent of the municipal additional taxes subject to non-application, equal to 5 euros per passenger of the quota (which is 6.5 euros overall).
The overall effect of the rules is therefore to shift the burden of the boarding surcharge from passengers to the Region which will pay it to the State. In particular, the financial coverage of the rule will be guaranteed: as for the components intended for the beneficiary Local Authorities (Lamezia Terme, Reggio Calabria and Isola Capo Rizzuto), over 124 thousand euros, through coverage by drawing on the autonomous resources of the regional budget. Now it will be a question of understanding whether Ryanair will follow up on the promises of recent months. “If the Italian government were to abolish the municipal surcharge/tourism tax – were the words pronounced by the top management of the Irish company -, Ryanair will respond with an investment of 4 billion dollars in Italy, adding 40 new aircraft, another 20 million more passengers per year and over 250 new routes, in the next 4 years. Reggio Calabria could benefit from the abolition of the municipal surcharge/tourism tax with further investments by Ryanair on routes, connectivity and jobs
Meanwhile, the 2023 financial statement was published on the Sacal web portal, which shows an operating profit of 291,248 euros. On the contrary, the Sacal Gh financial statement for 2023 shows an operating loss of 57,360 euros. As for traffic trends, all airports have recorded an increase in the number of passengers compared to 2022, but pre-Covid levels have not yet been reached.
