Commenting on media reports that the DUP has demanded an end to Air Passenger Duty (APD) in Northern Ireland as part of its support for the UK Government, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association (AOA) Karen Dee, has said that although it is welcome political parties have recognised the “adverse impact APD has and are committed to reducing APD…the AOA is clear that any cut in APD in one part of the UK should be immediately matched everywhere else in the UK”.
She added that different rates of APD would introduce regional distortions that would damage regional economies. “We are already seeing UK airports losing out when competing for airlines' new routes to competitors from airports in other European countries that charge no or low aviation taxes. We should not introduce such competition within the UK and see one region losing connectivity to another,” said Dee.