Vienna. The German flight attendants from the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, who were formerly stationed in Düsseldorf, report on rather unusual occurrences. On flights to Palma de Mallorca, for example, they would have repeatedly received red bags with cash amounts of just under 10,000 euros. You should take the money with you on the plane and hand it in in Spain. And that's how it happened: As soon as the planes were docked in Palma, a Ryanair employee got on and collected the bags. In some cases, almost 60,000 euros in cash would have been transported from Germany to Spain.
These ominous red bags were documented by the flight attendants with photos, as can be seen from corresponding reports in the German media “Welt” and SWR in cooperation with ORF and “Profil”. And the local trade union Vida also reports that Laudamotion employees stationed in Vienna also contacted her in the previous year because they were required to transport cash to Palma.
It is clear where the money comes from. It is income from on-board sales, in which drinks and food, but also perfumes and duty-free cigarettes are purchased by passengers during the flight. Since this year, payment has been completely switched to contactless methods due to the coronavirus – in previous years, however, large amounts of cash were likely to have accumulated. According to the statement of a German flight attendant, up to 100,000 euros per week were converted.
Customs ask for more than 10,000 euros
This money first ended up in the crew safe of the Laudamotion base in Düsseldorf. So far, so normal. Unlike other airlines, however, it was not picked up by a money transporter and paid into the bank in Germany. But divided into packages of almost 10,000 euros and brought to Palma de Mallorca. The amount of just under 10,000 euros can be explained by the fact that from this amount the cash import in Spain must be actively declared at customs. In Austria, the process is said to have been identical.
There are different answers as to why this unusual step was taken. According to the local trade union Vida, there is suspicion that the money was brought abroad because there are lower sales taxes. Because when selling on board an aircraft, the rule applies that sales tax must always be paid in the country of departure. For a flight from Vienna to Berlin this would be Austria, for the return flight Germany.
The statement by Ryanair is different, which in the first reports from “Welt” and Co. rejected the topic as a whole. At the request of the “press” it says: “Before payments were made contactless when selling on board, the cash was brought to central cash processing points in Spain, Ireland and Great Britain in accordance with EU rules and customs regulations.” The reason for this is that Cash processing (counting etc.) is very expensive and Ryanair is doing this centralized for reasons of efficiency.
No tax due to loss
The allegations made by “disgruntled ex-employees” are wrong. Ryanair cites the commissions that were paid to employees for on-board sales as proof of correct booking of sales. “And that could only exist if the sales were entered correctly in the accounting system.”
It also says: The on-board sale was fully reflected in Lauda's balance sheet. However, since the company is making losses, no corporation tax was paid on it in Austria. When the “press” asked whether sales tax was always paid in Austria for flights from Vienna, no response was received by the editorial deadline. (Jaz)
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