Reduce air passenger duty to boost aviation urges Crawley MP

A reduction in Air Passenger Duty would provide a welcome boost for the aviation industry and Gatwick Airport, Crawley’s MP has argued.
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Henry Smith has welcomed confirmation that the government will launch a public consultation on options to reduce APD, which is charged on each passenger on flights departing from the UK.

The Crawley MP has been campaigned persistently on the topic, including numerous calls in the House of Commons to reduce the tax burden on air passengers.

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He said: “It’s high time that the Government looked to reduce the Air Passenger Duty burden on hard-working families. This announcement comes as a timely boost as the sector aims to bounce back from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gatwick Airport. Pic Steve Robards SR2102261 SUS-210103-145915001Gatwick Airport. Pic Steve Robards SR2102261 SUS-210103-145915001
Gatwick Airport. Pic Steve Robards SR2102261 SUS-210103-145915001

“There will of course come a time when air travel recovers and a boost to people’s pockets through a reduction in Air Passenger Duty will help not only air passengers but those employers in the aviation, travel and tourism sectors.

“As Crawley MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation I’ll continue to stand up for Crawley and Gatwick aviation employers, workers and passengers.”

As part of the Union Connectivity Review, which is exploring ways in which transport can better connect the nations of the United Kingdom, the Government will be launching a consultation on aviation tax reform to be published this spring.

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The consultation will include options to change the APD treatment for domestic flights, potentially by reintroducing a return leg exemption or through the creation of a new lower domestic rate.

The Government has confirmed that in addition to looking at the case for increasing the number of international distance bands, the Department for Transport will continue to decarbonise domestic aviation as part of the ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions, including through mandating the use of sustainable aviation fuels.