ALTA raises concerns over creation of new airport taxes in Colombia

ALTA addressed (31-Mar-2018) "all mayors in cities with airports within Colombia" raising concerns over the implementation of new aviation taxes. ALTA stated: "The proposed increase in taxes and fees could also negatively affect the competitiveness of the main air terminals in Colombia... Increasing the airports taxes would negatively affect competition and the potential to become a regional hub compared to airports in nearby countries such as Panama". As previously reported by CAPA, Bogota Mayor Enrique Panalosa, via his official Twitter account, stated: "A very small tax of COP8000 (USD2.86) to domestic passengers and USD5 to international, can help finance surface access the airport… simple". IATA Colombia country manager Andrés Uribe questioned how a country that identified tourism "one of the key industries in the process of developing a country", such as Colombia, and invested over USD5 billion in airport infrastructure, can be the third country in Latin America in most passenger taxes, following only Venezuela and Argentina. [more - original PR]