Government’s air travel tax pledge in doubt
Union laws
environmental tax on air travel after finding that European Union laws would prevent
it.
(APD), a tax imposed on all passengers on planes leaving the UK except those who
are on transfer, to curtail greenhouse gas emissions. Both parties in the coalition
had said they wanted to tax “per plane” to give airlines the incentive to cut
down on their carbon footprint.
make the change as it falls foul of EU laws.
marks” over the plan, but refused to confirm or deny that it would be abandoned.
companies – including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Heathrow and Gatwick airports
– to shelve the reforms. Last week, they warned George Osborne against raising
air passenger taxes in his budget this month. The airlines said: “We recognise
the exceptional difficulty of the country’s fiscal position and we are content
to pay our fair share. But the UK
be counter-productive to the country’s economic recovery.”
fleets. Last month, Carolyn McCall, chief executive of easyJet, said the coalition
was making slow progress on the APD and suggested the environment had fallen down
the coalition’s agenda.
in terms of the deficit and so on, but the environment appears to have slipped
off the agenda … that is wrong because it’s a problem that is here to stay and
aviation has it’s part to play in that. It is frustrating.”