UK among worst in world for air taxes, shows report
The UK is the second most expensive country in the world for airlines to serve, according to a global study that ranks the country 139 out of 140 for the competitiveness of its airport and aviation taxes.
Following publication of the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Competitiveness report this week, aviation bosses called on the Chancellor to use his Budget to abolish Air Passenger Duty.
In a joint statement, the chief executives of British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic said the report demonstrated the level of tax was "unjustified".
They said: "The WEF report shows that Britain has the highest aviation taxes and charges in the world, ranked 139th out of 140 and rubbing shoulders with countries like Chad, Senegal and the Dominican Republic.
"It’s hard to find another comparable table on a key measure of international competitiveness which shows the UK to be trailing the rest of the world."
Chad was the least competitive country, said the report. The Netherlands was 97th most competitive, Germany 109th and France 116th.
"This isn’t just a blow to our national pride but demonstrates the unjustified level of Air Passenger Duty and, following the recent PWC report, provides further evidence that the Chancellor must take action in the Budget on this destructive tax," added the CEOs.
The PWC report highlighted the important role aviation plays in economic growth and provided evidence that abolishing APD would boost the UK economy by £16 billion over three years.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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