For Covid-19: Latest Updates. Please click here
Why book with us?
  • A comfortable car
  • Meet and Greet service
  • FREE Waiting time
  • FREE Baby/Child Seat
  • FIXED Prices-No Hidden charges
  • Wireless Internet (Business only)
Tripadvisor Ratings
Book Online or Call +44 208 688 7744
Secure Pay By
Our Video Our Video
Daily Tours
VIP Meet and Assist
Special Offers
London Transfers
Meet And Greet Service
  • Meeting inside the Airport
  • Free Waiting Time
  • No Hidden Charges
  • Flight tracking
  • No Charge for flight delays
30 - Nov - 2016

Top European Airlines’ Bosses Want UK’s Travel Tax Abolished

Ahead of Wednesday’s Autumn Statement, CEO’s of three of Europe’s topairlines are urging the government to abolish the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD). IAG’s Willie Walsh, EasyJet’s Carolyn McCall and Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary have said that APD is hindering Britain’s economic growth, business as well as tourism at a time when the country needs to strengthen global business ties post-Brexit.

Currently, APD is at £146/€181 per departing passenger for long-haul flights and is expected to increase up to £150 next April. For short-haul flights, a fee of £13/€16 per departing passenger is required. The UK’s APD is currently the highest in the world.

The  CEOs who are also part of the Airlines for Europe (A4E), the largest airline lobby group in Europe, say if Theresa May’s government heeds to their plea and scraps the APD, the GDP stands to get a +1.7% boost and 61,000 new jobs would be created by 2020. A removal of APD would also lead to a rise in passenger traffic, as was the case in Ireland where their traffic grew from 23 million  in 2012 to 32million passengers in 2016after scrapping the travel tax in 2014.

Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group (IAG) says: “It’s a revenue raising tax designed to suppress air transport growth which is exactly what the economy does not need right now.

“Britain spends many millions of pounds attracting people to the country only to charge them up to £146 when they leave. Other countries which have scrapped their aviation taxes have seen an immediate boost to their GDP and tourism.”

EasyJet’s Carolyn McCall said, “Removing APD, a tax on passengers that suffocates demand, would certainly stimulate economic growth and make travel easier and more affordable. There is so much evidence to support this in other countries.”

Citing Ireland’s example, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary called on the government to follow suitand scrap APD for everyone, to allow Britain to become competitive and stimulate job creation and tourism.

By Airport Pickups London