CTTG joins campaign against APD rise

The Co-operative Travel Trading Group has written to Chancellor Gordon Brown asking him to commit at least some of the £1 billion raised by the increase in air passenger duty to fight climate change.

Chief operating officer Mike Greenacre said such a pledge could help alleviate the consumer and travel trade anger being directed towards the Government over the retrospective way in which the 100% increase has been introduced.

“This could in the longer term be managed by a pledge that this increase carries with it substantial practical help in the country’s fight against global warming,” the letter says.

“The method of introducing the APD increase has left the travel industry, a major contributor to the success of the UK economy, with a heavy and unfair burden, both financial and administrative.”

He said holiday companies restricted from passing on surcharges of less than 2% to customers are now facing APD liabilities running into millions of pounds.

“Many airlines, on the other hand, are determined to extract payment from the customer, on or before 1 February,” said Greenacre..

“The priority the Government itself is giving to the reduction of the UK’s carbon footprint is clear – and given the scale of the climate change challenge, we suggest there is a strong case for departing from usual taxation practice and sending the public a clear message that the tax they pay to fly will in this instance, be of direct benefit to the environment.”

APD is due to double from tomorrow, when Easyjet senior managers will make a public stand at UK airports. See separate story for more details.

By Bev Fearis