CAMPAIGNERS will today issue a rallying call demanding that the Government grounds plans to increase the cost of air travel.

Staff at Newcastle Airport will join the national Hands off our Holiday campaign and urge North East holidaymakers to make their voices heard.

The UK already has the highest level of Air Passenger Duty (APD) in the world, eight and a half times higher that the next top level in the EU.

It has increased by 140% for short haul flights, and 325% for long haul flights in less than five years.

For a family of four APD adds £48 to a holiday to Europe, £240 on trips to America and £340 to journeys to Australia.

Now Chancellor George Osborne plans to raise APD by double the rate of inflation next year.

Graeme Mason, planning and corporate affairs director at Newcastle International said: “Today is a call for action. If passengers don’t support this campaign the Government will keep putting the tax up and hard working families are going to be priced out of their holidays.”

Simon Buck, chief executive of the British Air Transport Association, said: “Most people simply aren’t aware how much flight tax they pay. The Government should come clean about this stealth tax and drop the hikes planned for next year.”

The Journal’s A Tax Too Far Campaign has highlighted the damaging effect of APD on the region’s air links and economy, along with its disproportionate and negative impact on regional airports. Organised by airline and airport groups, the Hands off our Holiday campaign coincides with the release of a survey showing three in four people oppose the rises.

And in the North East the opposition is greatest with 52% of people quizzed calling on the tax to be reduced compared to the UK average of 49% and 30% calling for it to be frozen compared to the UK average of 29%.

The campaign is urging people to email their MP via the website www.handsoffourholiday.com and to tweet their support for the hikes to be abandoned using the hashtag #handsoffourhols.