Regional air tax plans slammed
05.01.11
News that the Government is considering charging higher taxes on flights from congested airports in south east England has been slammed by Cheapflights chairman Hugo Burge. He called the plans ‘negative, short term and uninspiring’, adding that they would hold back economic growth and development.
Mr Burge was responding to reports last week that the coalition Government is considering plans to charge higher taxes on flights from the south east and lower taxes on journeys from airports in regions. The reports came after an executive from Manchester Airport asked Aviation Minister Teresa Villiers whether such a plan was being considered.
He said: ‘The idea of reducing congestion by deterring passengers, rather than investing for growth has a painful lack of logic. UK plc needs to encourage visitors and business to the UK and not put up tax barriers to entry to one of the country’s busiest regions. The UK is in an international marketplace – if the international market wants to primarily come to the south east it would seem foolish to try to divert it away to the regions.’
‘What is true for the regions is also true for the south east – what is needed to stimulate the investment required to improve the current situation is a policy of tax incentives rather than additional taxes. A higher tax should not be part of any solution as long as it will be passed on to travellers. Let’s make the airport authority, not travellers, accountable for the change.’
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