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Virgin Atlantic delivers APD views to Treasury
Virgin Atlantic cabin crew led a delegation to central London yesterday to deliver the airline’s views on APD reform.
The carrier handed over a list of demands that called for short-haul passengers to contribute more to the pot, premium economy passengers to pay the same APD as economy passengers and a ban on the suggested “south-east tax” that would subsidise regional flights.
Virgin also said there needs to be a change in the anomaly that means passengers flying to the Caribbean pay more APD than those flying 5,000 miles further to Hawaii.
The airline estimates that under some of the Treasury’s proposals, air travellers could pay an extra £1 billion in tax on their trips.
Part of the Treasury delegation, Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Julie Southern said: “Aviation has a crucial role to play in UK tourism and the wider economic recovery through encouraging visitors to these shores ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“But this economic potential is being stifled by ever increasing levels of air passenger duty which is already the highest in Europe. Our customers are telling us in overwhelming numbers that they believe rates are too high – and the vast majority rejected the idea of paying even more tax to fly from a South East airport.
“We already know that more than half of long haul flyers say they would consider cutting down their number of long haul flights if there were further rises in APD.”
She added: “Historically the rises in this tax, both in percentage and absolute terms, have been much higher for long haul flights than for short haul. If the Government spares the travelling public and decides to take the same level of revenue from this tax, we strongly believe the burden should be shared more fairly.
The APD consultation period ends today.
by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
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