Why visit ACE ’25?
Sardinia is reviewing a 'luxury tax' on private aircraft entering its territory after strong criticism that it is unreasonable and could be impossible to enforce and administer. AOPA-Italy says that aircraft with five to 12 seats must pay 400 euros and those with more than a dozen seats 1,000 euros. "Even the smallest four-seat aircraft must now pay a minimum of 150 euros on top of landing and handling charges," it adds. AOPA Italy's Massimo Levy says: "Protests against this unreasonable tax have proved fruitless, and as a result AOPA-Italy is urging all pilots in the European general aviation community to avoid Sardinia. "Italy has 3,000 miles of beautiful coastline, and there are many places to visit where you will be made welcome, not asked to pay more tax." Local commentators and newspapers questioned how private aircraft owners and operators could timetable in a visit to the post office to pay the tax and correctly fill in forms. They also questioned whether enforcement would cost more than the revenue collected. Francesco Cossu, manager operations at Eccelsa Aviation in Sardinia, told EBAN the company was focusing on providing the best possible service. "I can confirm that Sardinia has decided to implement a new charge. I have no idea whether it will impact on business or not. But Sardinia is a wonderful place to visit with beautiful beaches and we will do everything possible, as we always do, to make everybody's visit a great experience. We strive every day to improve our service." Eccelsa Aviation operates an FBO and provides charter services. A luxury tax has also been levied on yachts and on visits to second homes.