Double air passenger tax comes into force

The increased air passenger duty (APD) comes into effect today and some passengers will be required to pay up when they arrive at the airport.

In December, chancellor Gordon Brown announced that APD would double, meaning that economy passengers now have to pay a £10 charge for short-haul flights and £20 for long-haul. Business and first-class passengers must now pay £20 for short-haul flights and £80 for long-haul.

The tax even applies to those passengers who made bookings before the increase was announced, which struck many as unfair.

British Airways announced that it would absorb this cost but most airlines cannot afford to follow suit and are having to ask passengers to pay the difference.

As a protest at being made to act as tax collectors, easyJet managers are today manning airport check-in areas dressed as taxmen to inform surprised passengers of why they need to pay the additional fee.

The Conservative Party has also attacked the Treasury's APD rise, suggesting that imposing it retrospectively on passengers may in fact be illegal.

"The legal opinion we've received says there is no legal basis to collect the increase in tax," said shadow chancellor George Osborne.

Nevertheless, many airlines have warned passengers that they will not be able to board their flights until they have paid. And the cost is not insignificant - a family of four flying long-haul in economy would have to pay £40 extra.

APD is an environmental tax, but airlines have questioned how effective it will be. Instead, many suggest that aviation should be included in the EU emissions trading scheme.

© Adfero Ltd

Comments

[Ian Ramsay]

As this tax is only being charged nationally how can the chancellor affect emissions from aircraft which operate from many countries on a global basis? Perhaps as often, it seems, this is just ''see a problem, see a tax opportunity '' and add it to the rest of the opportunities taken of late. I feel that somehow ''global warming'' will not be reduced by our imposed sacrifice.

[ken yates]

As usual the goverment yet again finding ways to get money out of us. This increase in APD will make no difference to the number of people using aircraft for their.