APD campaign gets support of influential business lobbying group
The Institute of Directors has thrown its weight behind the Fair Tax on Flying campaign.
The business lobbying group said the Government has been treating Air Passenger Duty as a "cash cow" and called on the industry to support the campaign by contacting MPs.
IoD director general Simon Walker said: "The UK now levies the highest aviation passenger taxes anywhere in the world. This is unsustainable and is a major deterrent to tourism and inward investment.
"I would encourage everyone in the industry, as well as the travelling public, to send an email to their MP to get this campaign noticed by policy-makers. Successive governments have been taking airline passengers for granted for far too long."
The IoD’s statement comes three days after the Taxpayers’ Alliance publicly announced its support for the campaign.
Over 7,000 people have now visited www.afairtaxonflying.org and sent an email to their MP using the site’s standardised template.
The campaign has been in development since the April Budget, when the Chancellor confirmed an 8% rise in APD.
A recent TravelMole poll found 65% of the trade said their customers’ travel plans had been impacted by the rise in APD.
by Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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