UK: Ministers likely to back plans for ticket tax
Government plans to combat the environmental impact of air travel could lead to a doubling of air passenger duty, the ticket tax paid on all flights out of Britain.
Many of the weekend’s newspapers are reporting that ministers plan to double the tax, to £10 on domestic and European flights and £40 on long-haul services.
A family of four flying to the United States, therefore, would have to pay air passenger duty of £160, while passengers travelling in business and first class would pay double the above amounts.
The Sunday Times points out that the increase will have a disproportionate effect on economy carriers such as Ryanair and EasyJet, with the tax actually exceeding the ticket price on many of the cheapest flights.
