Airline bosses back Journal’s A Tax Too Far campaign

Sep 24 2009 by Adam Jupp, The Journal

AIRLINE bosses have thrown their weight behind our A Tax Too Far campaign.

We are calling on the Government to reverse its plans to raise Air Passenger Duty (APD) in November and again in 2010.

It is feared the tax, which is passed on to passengers, will lead to airlines pulling key routes from the region’s airports, while that in turn will damage the regional economy.

The rises come at a time when airlines are ploughing money into reducing the industry’s carbon footprint, which all also lead to ticket prices going up.

And as the UK gears up to enter the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme, holidaymakers and business travellers will soon find themselves being hit with a triple whammy of charges.

Now, the full spectrum of airlines that fly in and out of Newcastle International and Durham Tees Valley have backed A Tax Too Far.

Easyjet chief executive Andy Harrison said: “APD is a daft tax which penalises the most efficient airlines and falls most heavily on UK regional air travellers who depend on air travel for business and for leisure.

“The last thing we need is another increase. The sooner the Government has the guts to reform it or abolish the better.”

Flybe chief commercial officer Mike Rutter said: “Flybe is the UK’s biggest domestic airline and as such we are acutely aware of the impact an increase in APD will have on the nation’s regional economies.

“That is why we are standing with Newcastle International Airport and The Journal and calling on the Government to put on ice the planned November rise in APD.

“Such a move would be a tangible stimulus to the North East’s economy and send out a very clear message that the Government cares about industries other than just the banking sector.”

The backing comes after British Airways chief Willie Walsh told the United Nations what the industry plans to do to reduce emissions by 50% by 2050.

And last night, he told The Journal: “Good air links are vital for British businesses in a global economy.

“They are even more vital for regions like the North East which, without flying, cannot gain access to customers and suppliers in the world’s fastest-growing markets. So a tax on flying is a tax on jobs.

“The existing high levels of Air Passenger Duty mean that UK airlines fully meet their climate change costs already. So the Government’s planned increases in APD will bring no benefit to the environment.

“But these rises will deter overseas visitors from taking city breaks in Newcastle or exploring the great natural beauty of Northumberland.

“They will also mean that thousands of hard-working families cannot afford the kind of holidays they deserve and expect. APD for connecting flights through Heathrow to the USA for a family of four is set to rise to £180 in November and £240 from November 2010 – a hike of 50% compared with today. British Airways supports the campaign against this tax.”