unaligned

Ryanair has failed in its High Court bid to have a tax law, which it claims effectively double taxes 4,000 of its 6,500 pilots, referred to the Court of Justice of the EU. Ryanair had sought the referral to determine whether the law is compatible with EU law. It also failed to get an injunction suspending the operation of the tax law pending determination of its case alleging that the measure is discriminatory. Ryanair argues Section 127B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is unconstitutional because it imposes a discriminatory financial disadvantage on its aircrew based outside Ireland, Britain and the Netherlands. It claims it costs the airline more than its foreign competitors to deliver the same net pay to crew based in other countries and can mean it will become commercially unviable to continue operating in certain countries. <br/>

A regional airline has labelled accusations over its safety protocols as a “cowardly” and “malicious” attack from a leak the company believes came from within the national aviation watchdog. The Australian CASA confirmed it is investigating allegations about Regional Express airlines. The claims include that management had been stopping crews – allegedly through intimidation – from reporting safety defects. In one case in a CASA report, a Rex engineer was allegedly disciplined for finding corrosion on a propeller shaft during a routine check. The report included complaints from a Rex engineer and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association. Rex claimed the report had been leaked by a CASA employee. Engineers are calling for the entire fleet to be grounded. But Rex has come out swinging against the claims. <br/>