A new campaign calling for the UK government to introduce a fairer tax on flights is being led by Abta- the Travel Association.
A new campaign calling for the UK government to introduce a fairer tax on flights is being led by Abta- the Travel Association.
The tourism industry is hoping that the initiative will prevent further increases in the current level of air passenger duty (APD).
Figures from Abta suggest that APD has risen by 2600 per cent since being introduced in 1994 and is expected to raise £2.2 billion in revenue in 2011.
However, a recent survey conducted by ComRes concluded that 63 per cent of consumers believe the taxation on flights is too high and this could influence the decision of where Brits choose to take holidays.
A number of companies are backing the campaign including British Airways, which provides long-flights to South Africa, India and other short and long-haul destinations.
The airline’s chief executive Keith Williams said: “We recognise the exceptional difficulty of the country’s fiscal position and we are content to pay our fair share.
“But the UK airline industry is already the most heavily taxed in the world and any further tax burden will be counterproductive to the country’s economic recovery.”
Abta represents over 5,000 travel agencies and more than 900 tour operations in the UK.
Written by Ruth Norris.
