Northern Ireland airports press for return of duty-free looking for EU flights
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orthern Ireland’s airports have known as for the return of duty-free looking for flights between the area and the European Union.
Following the UK’s exit from the EU, from January 2021, duty-free purchasing from airports in Great Britain was prolonged to incorporate EU locations.
George Best Belfast City Airport, Belfast International Airport and City of Derry Airport have made a joint plea to the UK Government and EU to increase this facility to Northern Ireland’s airports.
The anomaly happened amid discussions across the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
After the Windsor Framework was agreed between the UK and EU, geared toward tackling difficulties within the protocol, there have been requires the return of duty-free amenities to Northern Ireland’s airports.
Bosses on the Belfast and Derry airports mentioned duty-free gross sales account for greater than £900 million in GDP to the UK financial system, and non-aeronautical income can account for as a lot as 40% of the whole income of an airport.
Further, they mentioned, the shortcoming of Northern Irish airports to promote duty-free items to passengers travelling to the EU is “already resulting in an estimated £5 million loss each year”.
The airports additionally mentioned restoring duty-free outlets for EU flights would put them on an “equal footing to other airports in the UK, and deliver real economic benefits in terms of income generated by the airports”.
Preventing airports and companies in Northern Ireland from accessing this income stream is unfair. It places them at a aggressive drawback to the remainder of the UK, and to the remainder of Europe
Nigel Keal, chairman of the UK Travel Retail Forum, who’s co-ordinating the decision to the UK Government and EU Commission, described the present state of affairs as unfair.
“The return of duty-free post-Brexit has proven incredibly popular with consumers, with overseas retailers seeing significant increases in sales of duty-free goods to departing UK passengers,” he mentioned.
“This has been a crucial financial support as the aviation and travel retail sectors recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Preventing airports and businesses in Northern Ireland from accessing this revenue stream is unfair. It puts them at a competitive disadvantage to the rest of the UK, and to the rest of Europe.
“On behalf of the industry, the travel retail industry is calling on the Westminster Government and the EU Commission to work together to level the playing field, and bring the rules on duty free at Northern Irish airports in line with rules at their British and European counterparts.”
Responding, a spokesperson for Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) spokesperson mentioned: “The Government is committed to preserving frictionless movement of people and goods between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
“Allowing duty-free shopping between the two would require introducing border controls between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which undermines the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. It could also lead to significant revenue loss for both the UK and Ireland.”