Air is not free, at least in this airport

[Jman888]

i mean at least not in this airport

CARACAS AIRPORT CHARGES FLYERS FOR CLEAN AIR, OMINOUSLY CALLS IT "BREATHING TAX"

NUZHA NUSEIBEH

As if flying wasn’t bad enough these days (we even have to keep our cellphones precharged now, egh), one airport has taken air travel to its most comical (read: worst): Simon Bolivar International Airport is charging passengers for clean air starting this month. Well, really what they’re doing is charging flyers for the right to breathe clean air, in the form of a tax — not that that’s much better, really.

From July onward, anyone flying to or from Simon Bolivar International Airport of Maiquetia in Caracas is going to have spend 125 bolivars — roughly $20, depending on the highly variable exchange rate — on what the airport has called a “breathing tax.” Ostensibly, the fee is in order to pay for a “state of the art” air purification system, which “deodorizes” and “sanitizes” the building (just how smelly and dirty was it before, you have to wonder). It’s the first of its kind in South America, the ministry of water and air transport boasts, and will help “protect the health of travelers.”

If you’re thinking that this sounds suspiciously like a pricey air-conditioning unit, you’re not alone. The move has caused a furor on social media in Venezuela, where people are already pretty unhappy with the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

“@bbcworldservice Venezuela’s biggest airport charging for the right to inhale clean air” Spaceballs wasn’t so stupid pic.twitter.com/wgHQuejsgv

— Will Gore (@WillGore) July 11, 2014

Please, please don’t tell UK Airports or the UK Government about this one - Venezuela’s airport has a ‘breathing’ tax http://t.co/kJab4xIzqr

— Steve Dunne (@SteveDunne) July 12, 2014

Recently, Maduro’s office put certain currency controls in place that have stopped international airlines — like Delta and American Airlines, for example — from repatriating what they make from selling tickets in Venezuela. What this has meant is that Delta, American, United, and Canada Air have all severely cut down their flights to the country — which, as you can imagine, has not been so good for Maiquetia Airport’s revenues.

“We are isolated as airlines have reduced flights to the U.S. by more than 80 percent,” Jesus Ernesto Ortiz, president of Caracas travel agency Happy Tour Group, told Bloomberg earlier this week. “Venezuela is going to receive less flights than Cuba or Haiti. It is the first time the Venezuelan airlines sector is facing a crisis like that.”

Well, it certainly puts EasyJet’s fees into perspective, if nothing else.

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2014 by Jman888

[Lala81]

Classic example of how not to run an economy. If it wasn't for their petrodollars they would be bankrupt from their silly populist policies.

[Holdenutessv]

Clean air? Buy one of these instead.

[Mustank]

Classic example of how not to run an economy. If it wasn't for their petrodollars they would be bankrupt from their silly populist policies.

 

they say sometime beauty is a curse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr

or even resources like diamond and oil

[Tigerwoods]

State of the art air purification system needs $20 per entry?

Can fight with our COE system for a piece of paper that I have to print it myself?

I think the highest profit margin in the world has to be COE.

[Ktglfc]

I can also provide air too, can I charge too?

My stomach rumbling now, time to let go / out air now

[Porker]

Classic example of how not to run an economy. If it wasn't for their petrodollars they would be bankrupt from their silly populist policies.

 

They do routinely produce top of the range Miss Universe contestants though

[Lala81]

 

They do routinely produce top of the range Miss Universe contestants though

 

lol. at least their plastic surgeons know how to vary more. korean ones all come out of a production line.

[Baal]

State of the art air purification system needs $20 per entry?

Can fight with our COE system for a piece of paper that I have to print it myself?

I think the highest profit margin in the world has to be COE.

 

Give chance, its not easy when learning from the best. Even when Obama tried recently, he couldn't pull it off as well.

[Joseph22]

State of the art air purification system needs $20 per entry?

Can fight with our COE system for a piece of paper that I have to print it myself?

I think the highest profit margin in the world has to be COE.

I heard if u pay off in full case can take the original paper. True or not??