European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure NO-2020-1/718 Updated – measures in Norway

Temporary cancellation of the air passenger tax

Midlertidig opphevelse av flypassasjeravgiften

Country Norway , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 01 January 2020 – 01 April 2022
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation
Author Aasmund Arup Seip, FAFO and Eurofound
Measure added 17 April 2020 (updated 04 February 2022)

Background information

The government lifted the air passenger tax for flights in the period from 1 January 2020 through 31 October, 2020. The measure is expected to have little impact on the volume of flights. However, the measure is intended as a temporary relief for the airlines during the outbreak of the coronavirus. The purpose of the tax is primarily to provide the state with revenue, but the tax can have an environmental impact by reducing the demand for flights. The Ministry points out that tourism in general and aviation in particular are severely affected by the virus outbreak. Maintaining a fiscal charge on air travel can help exacerbate the negative financial consequences of the virus outbreak.

Content of measure

The duty to pay air passenger tax is incurred when the flight starts from a Norwegian airport, and the fee is calculated per passenger who commences taxable flight from a Norwegian airport. The cancellation of the tax in the period from 1 January 2020 to 31 October 2020 means that the tax will be abolished both for flights made earlier this year and for flights commenced in the period up to and including 31 October 2020. The time of purchase of the air ticket is of no significance for the duty to pay. Flights starting on or after 1 November 2020 will be subject to tax. It follows from the proposal that the fee paid for flights earlier this year should be repaid to the airlines.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

14 December 2021

On14 December 2021, the government announced that it would postpone the reintroduction of the air passenger tax until 1 April 2022. The proposals require a decision in parliament. The government will present a proposition to the Storting in January 2022.

04 January 2021

The passenger tax on air flights, introduced in 2016, was in March 2020 lifted by the government from 1 January to 31 October 2020. The tax was not reintroduced in November, and after budget negotiations in the parliament, the parliament decided that the air passenger tax should be abolished in 2021 as well. The plan by December 2020 is to reintroduce the tax for flights starting on 1 January 2022 or later.

Use of measure

No information to date.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Sector specific set of companies
Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Consulted Consulted
Form Direct consultation outside a formal body Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Social partners jointly
  • Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Social partners have been consulted regularly during design and implementation of the measure in Mars 2020. The decision to abolish the tax through 2021 was taken by the parliament without direct involvement by the social partners.

Views and reactions

Social partners have been consulted regularly during design and implementation of the measure.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      H - Transportation And Storage H51 Air transport

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Temporary cancellation of the air passenger tax, measure NO-2020-1/718 (measures in Norway), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/NO-2020-1_718.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.