Ryanair passengers vote in favour of ‘fat tax’

Ryanair today announced that it will now consider how to charge a ‘fat tax’ after more than 30,000 passengers voted in favour of charging excess weight fees for very large passengers in an online vote over the past two weeks.

Over 100,000 passengers voted, via ryanair.com, to decide which cost reduction idea should win a €1,000 cash prize. Ryanair confirmed the final poll results as follows:

1. 29% - Excess fees for very overweight passengers
2. 25% - €1 for toilet paper – with O’Leary’s face on it
3. 24% - €3 to smoke in a converted toilet cubicle
4. 14% - Annual subscription to access Ryanair.com
5. 8% - €2 “corkage” fee for passengers who bring their own food onboard

Ryanair will now consider how to implement such a charge and asked passengers to vote, via ryanair.com, on which format the charge should take:

1. Charge per kg over 130kg/20 stone (male) and 100kg/15 stone (female)
2. Charge per inch for every waist inch over 45 inch (male) and 40 inch (female)
3. Charge for every point in excess of 40 points on the Body Mass Index (+30 points is obese)
4. Charge for a second seat if passengers’ waist touches both armrests simultaneously.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Over 100,000 passengers logged on to ryanair.com to take part in our competition and almost one in three (over 30,000) think that very large passengers should be asked to pay a fat tax.

“With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a ‘fat tax’ we are now asking them to suggest which format the charge should take. The above four points seem to us to be the simplest, fairest and administratively easiest to apply. In all cases we’ve limits at very high levels so that a ‘fat tax’ will only apply to those really large passengers who invade’ the space of the passengers sitting beside them.

“These charges, if introduced might also act as an incentive to some of our very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier.

“The revenues from any such fat tax will be used to lower the airfares for all Ryanair passengers yet further. Passengers can vote for their preference on ryanair.com until Monday 27th April”.