Ryanair passengers will no longer have to pay a £5 departure tax at Kerry Airport following a Supreme Court ruling at the weekend, the airline said yesterday.

The departure tax, or levy, has been the subject of heated argument between Kerry Airport and Ryanair which has carried out a concerted campaign to encourage its customers not to pay it. Earlier this month Ryanair got an interlocutory injunction in the High Court restraining Kerry Airport from levying the £5 "airport development" fee on outbound flights. However, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court by Kerry Airport and there was a stay put on the injunction. On Friday evening the Supreme Court lifted the stay which means the airport authorities cannot charge Ryanair passengers the £5 departure tax.

Ryanair's commercial director Mr Michael Cawley said the Supreme Court decision was good for its passengers, "good for Kerry Airport and good for Kerry tourism."

He said Ryanair hoped that Kerry Airport will now see that the airport "will only grow and prosper by welcoming passengers and not taxing them".