HIV airline tax
begins in France

France's new tax on airline tickets to raise money for global AIDS programs began on Saturday, with all travelers on flights departing from the country paying an additional $1.27 to $51, depending on destination and class of seat purchased, the Associated Press reports. The funds raised from the tax will be donated to UNITAID, an initiative aimed at providing treatment for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria patients in poor nations. The French tax is expected to raise as much as $256 million each year for UNITAID. Gabon, Brazil, Chile, Congo, Cyprus, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Norway, and the United Kingdom plan to launch similar airline taxes in the coming months. The Bush administration and U.S.-based airlines are opposed to the tax. (The Advocate)