Virgin Atlantic delivers APD views to Treasury

Monday, 17 Jun, 2011 0

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

Welcome to Qatar Airways Qatar Airways is proud to be one of the youngest global airlines to serve all...

Queensland – where it’s rude not to stare Here in Queensland, there’s plenty to do. But there’s even more to...

IHG Hotels & Resorts: Redefining Hospitality Excellence IHG Hotels & Resorts is a globally renowned hospitality company that stands at...

Offering the most powerful portfolio in the industry, our 30 brands and 8,000+ properties across 139 countries and territories give...

Consisting of the three Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island as well as Newfoundland and...

From the Tel Aviv beach scene to the shores of the Dead Sea, Israel layers diverse cultures, outdoor adventures, and...

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is responsible for planning, organising, financing and delivering the...

Holiday Extras is the UK market leader in airport parking, airport hotels, worldwide airport lounges, destination car hire, airport transfers...

Jet2.com is the UK’s third largest airline, flying from ten UK airports to more than 60 destinations across Europe and beyond....

Traveltek is the world-leading provider of online solutions for the travel trade, from consumer-facing websites to call centre applications. We...

Take your clients’ vacation to the next level at Universal Orlando Resort™. With three amazing theme parks – Universal Studios...

We understand the importance of personal touch We do things a bit differently at Eventsquid. We know that we could...

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s assortment of adventures awaits you. Whether you want to relax on the beach as the sound of...

Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world’s most amazing places...

With long periods of Thailand’s History, according to evidences and studies, Sukhothai was the first kingdom of Thailand. At that time, an early Thai...