Airlines have joined airports and tour operators to ask the UK chancellor not to raise contentious air passenger taxes in this month’s Budget. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, as well as Heathrow and Gatwick airports, were among 25 companies to fight air passenger duty charges that have risen three times in three years and left the UK with the highest flight taxes in Europe. “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 counter-productive to the country’s economic recovery,” said Keith Williams, BA chief executive. There is little sign that the government is likely to backtrack on APD. The government said last year it would look at changing from a per-passenger to a per-aircraft tax, a move fiercely opposed by those not caught by the existing tax, such as air freight operators.
UK TAXES GALVANISE INDUSTRY TO JOINTLY LOBBY GOVERNMENT
