The French government recently announced it has decided to impose taxes on all the flights operating out of the Franco-Swiss airport Basel-Mulhouse.

Terming the French government move as highly controversial, media reports quoting Eric Héraud, a spokesman from the French Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said that the government doesn’t see any legal basis for exempting airline companies from the charges that continue to operate from the Swiss side of the airport.

According to media reports, the French government plans to impose a civil aviation tax on all departures from the airport. The government would be levying a tax of $5.7m (4.31 Euro) on short-haul flights, while $10.16 (7.62 Euro) is to be levied on long-haul flights.

If the taxes are finally imposed, the passengers taking first class or business class flights out of the airport would have to pay additional charge on their tickets between $13.33 (10 Euro) and $53.31 (40 Euro).

Easyjet has strongly opposed the French government plans to impose taxes. The airline said that it is registered in Switzerland and pays Swiss taxes in Basel, in accordance with the Franco-Swiss convention dating from 1949.