Although he pleased many by lowering the tax on beer, George Osborne has been criticised by others for increasing Air Passenger Duty (APD), also known as air tax.
APD has increased every year for five years now, and this latest hike in prices will see a family of four pay up to £376 just in tax every time they fly from a British airport.
Regular fliers, those in the travel industry, and indeed average families who enjoy an occasional holiday abroad, have been left galled at the continued rise in air tax, which has culminated in the UK having second to the highest aviation tax in the world. The UK’s high APD rates hit many even harder upon the realisation that several other EU countries don’t tax passengers on international air travel at all.
This month’s rise in air tax will not affect those travelling to continental Europe but, anyone flying further afield will face a larger tax bill than in previous years. A family of four flying to New York, for example, will be charged £268, up from £260, a single person visiting the Caribbean will face a £332 tax bill, up from £324, and a family visiting Australia will be charged £376 in APD, a rise of £12.
