UK Airports slam further increase in flying taxes
24-Mar-2010 Ed Anderson, Chairman of the Airport Operators Association, said: “Today’s Budget represents a failure by the Chancellor to stop this November’s damaging increase in Air Passenger Duty.
Passenger numbers have fallen by almost 10% in the last year, but taxes on some routes will be more than double what they were in 2008. This means more tax, paid by fewer passengers.
"The UK already has the highest levels of aviation tax in Europe. By increasing the cost of flying from Britain we are penalising our passengers and businesses, who are still suffering the effects of the recession, and a slow recovery. The APD rise will make this recovery harder. It will cost the UK economy £748 million this year alone, and risk 18,000 jobs.
"The APD rises will hit passengers twice. They will hurt ordinary hard-working people by not only making it harder for them to get away on holiday, but by slowing economic recovery and threatening jobs. Today the Chancellor could have chosen to avoid that.