Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
23 March 2011 09:53
British Airways is part of a group campaigning against rises in airport departure tax
Airlines and holiday companies have united in a bid to urge the Government against raising airport departure tax.
Travel organisation Abta is leading the campaign - which is also backed by British Airways and airport operator BAA.
The group has written to Chancellor George Osborne ahead of this month's Budget and launched a Facebook campaign to allow people to offer their support.
Many of those who choose to back the campaign may well be paying off holidays for this year and arranging travel insurance for their trip.
Campaigners say air passenger duty (APD) has risen 26-fold since 1994 and it was increased again last autumn, with those flying to the Caribbean in particular facing steep increases.
Abta has announced the results of a survey of 2,046 adults which showed that 63% believed APD levels were too high, with 21% saying they were about right and only 5% reckoning they were too low.
The organisations say that UK air travellers pay by far the highest levels of flight tax in Europe, with a family of four flying from the UK to Florida paying £240 in APD, while if they fly to Australia they can expect to pay £340.
That compares with £11 for an Irish family flying to the same destinations or £15 for a French family.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: "The Prime Minister has identified tourism as one of the top five industries to drive growth, yet aviation tax has become a punitive stealth tax."
19 January 2019
Every three seconds, someone in the UK has an asthma attack - new figures show.
[more...]
18 January 2019
A plant-based diet is needed to protect future generations and safeguard the wellbeing of the planet, according to experts.
17 January 2019
Campaigners are protesting outside the High Court in London as the legal challenge against Heathrow Airport's controversial expansion ramps up.
16 January 2019
A new way to predict a woman's risk of breast cancer has been unveiled by scientists - and it's the most comprehensive method yet.
15 January 2019
NHS commissioners could be slapped with a £2,500 fine for every patient left waiting more than a year for vital care, new proposals suggest.
12 January 2019
All UK airports should buy anti-drone technology and not rely on the Royal Air Force to help out, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has said.
10 January 2019
The military was brought in on Tuesday night after police officers saw a drone operating at Heathrow Airport, forcing departures to be suspended for an hour.
11 January 2019
A so-called "drug sponge" that mops up leftover drugs from cancer treatment could improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, new research has claimed.
09 January 2019
A hormone released during exercise could help protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests.
08 January 2019
Ryanair has been labelled the worst airline operating in the UK for the sixth year running in a leading consumer group survey.
05 January 2019
Anti-drone technology will be deployed at the UK's two busiest airports in response to the disruption caused before Christmas.
04 January 2019
A new cancer-detecting breathalyser test is being trialled in the UK - in a move that could revolutionise the way the disease is diagnosed.