Ryanair’s flight to Malta will take off millions in Irish tax

While the comments in Malta regarding Ryanair’s decision to purchase Malta Air focused mainly on the impact of this decision on Air Malta, the national carrier, another angle, maybe more to the point has been uncovered abroad.

Ryanair said the move to Malta would allow international crews to pay income tax in their home countries instead of Ireland.

The Irish exchequer is poised to lose tens of millions in tax revenues after the decision by Ryanair to shift control of aircraft for its operating bases in Italy, France and Germany from Ireland to Malta.

Last week the airline announced that it planned to purchase Malta Air, a Maltese start-up airline. The company also unveiled plans to switch 50 Ryanair aircraft based in France, Italy and Germany to its new Malta airline operator certificate. The aircraft currently operate under Ryanair’s Irish AOC, meaning the French, Italian and German crew manning those planes are required to pay income taxes in Ireland.

Ryanair said last week that the move to Malta would allow international crews to pay income tax in their home countries instead of

Ireland.