A number of measures announced by George Osborne in his Budget speech yesterday have been met with anger from the public. However, there’s one tax hike that you won’t have heard Mr Osborne mention – the increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD), which comes into force next month.
The government was accused of burying bad news after the Chancellor outlined the increases in papers released by the Treasury, rather than mentioning it in his speech.
The highest air travel tax in the world is here to stay and it is increasing from 1 April.
APD is to go up by 8 per cent next month, in a move that has garnered heavy criticism from airlines and passengers alike. Further increases are planned for next year. So how will the increase affect you? If you are planning to take a flight from the UK, you’ll be paying more for the privilege.
A family of four going on holiday to Florida will see an extra £260 on the price of their flight. To put that into perspective, the same family would have paid just £80 in 2006.
Even flights to Europe will be going up noticeably, with flights costing an extra £52 for four people to go to Spain.
Bosses from easyJet, IAG, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic were quick to respond to the APD hike, saying it will stifle further the UK’s economy.
“At a time when the Government talks about creating jobs and growth, its blinkered insistence on further increases in Air Passenger Duty achieves precisely the opposite,” the joint statement said.
“Youth unemployment is at record levels. Inbound tourism is a major employer of young people, but international visitors are being turned off the UK because of the exorbitant level of APD – which is by far the highest air travel tax in the world.”
