In the UK, passengers could see tax double on flight tickets, as the Government moves to stem the growth in air travel.
The increase would lift the duty on long-haul economy fares from £20 to £40. On domestic and European routes it would rise from £5 to £10.
A White Paper will also contain proposals to build extra runways at Heathrow, Stansted or both, to meet rising demand for air travel in London and the South-East.
Hardest hit would be passengers on budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair.
Tthe basic rate was halved from £10 to £5 in 2001, but at the same time a higher rate for first and business-class passengers of £40 long-haul, £10 within Europe was introduced. It is unclear whether the higher rate would also double under the new proposals.
UK airport tax doubled?
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Higher tax encourages production of quieter, cleaner planes.
Airlines have attacked the UK government plans to double the tax paid by passengers leaving UK airports.
EasyJet and flybe said the proposed rise in air passenger duty was unfair and a blunt way of raising revenue rather than tackling the environmental effects of flying.
The proposed increase would double the GBP£800-million-a-year that Gordon Brown, the finance minister, raises from air passenger duty.
Short-haul flight passengers would pay GBP£10 instead of GBP£5 and long-haul travellers would hand over GBP£20 instead of GBP£10. For business or first class passengers, the shorter journeys will involve the payment of GBP£20 instead of GBP£10, with the long-haul flight tax rising from GBP£20 to GBP£40.
Short-haul is defined as flights with the UK and Europe and long-haul is flights to the rest of the world.
The airlines said a higher tax on noisier, more polluting aircraft would encourage production of quieter, cleaner planes.
EasyJet and flybe said the proposed rise in air passenger duty was unfair and a blunt way of raising revenue rather than tackling the environmental effects of flying.
The proposed increase would double the GBP£800-million-a-year that Gordon Brown, the finance minister, raises from air passenger duty.
Short-haul flight passengers would pay GBP£10 instead of GBP£5 and long-haul travellers would hand over GBP£20 instead of GBP£10. For business or first class passengers, the shorter journeys will involve the payment of GBP£20 instead of GBP£10, with the long-haul flight tax rising from GBP£20 to GBP£40.
Short-haul is defined as flights with the UK and Europe and long-haul is flights to the rest of the world.
The airlines said a higher tax on noisier, more polluting aircraft would encourage production of quieter, cleaner planes.
40 = max
40 is the max, its a tax at departure.Comet wrote:In the English media there are reports that this move could add around £100 to the cost of a package holiday.
And commission on taxes is forbidden by european laws.
I do not see how you get that figure of 100£
