Four major airlines in the UK have set aside their business rivalry and have jointly commissioned a survey into Air Passenger Duty and its impact on the country’s economy.
The four companies, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair and Easyjet first came together under the ‘Axe the Tax’ slogan last year, but have now stepped up their campaign by appointing Pricewaterhouse Coopers, a UK accountancy firm, to investigate the economic effects of the increased duty on the British economy.
The airline industry in the UK is unanimous in its condemnation of the tax, which increased by 8 percent at the beginning of the 2012 financial year in April, and is scheduled for a further increase in 2013. Via its ‘Fair Tax on Flying’ initiative, the industry is urging people to use its website to contact their MP’s and register their disapproval of the increases. The initial target is for 100,000 respondents to the petition, with over 90,000 having already taken a few seconds to complete the on-line e-mail template.
Responding to the numbers of new supporters that the fight against Air Passenger Duty has been gaining, including many trade associations and business groups, the chief executive of the British Air Transport Association, Simon Buck, commented: ‘It is great news to see more supporters joining the campaign. It is now clear that we are drawing support from businesses across all regions of the UK as well as the tourism industry. It is time for the chancellor to listen to what we are saying.’
