APD adds £52 to the cost of a family of four’s economy class flights to destinations in Europe and £276 to economy class flights to destinations such as the US. This is a significant cost on families that strive to save for their holiday each year.
Research by NatCen Social Research and The Family Holiday Association has shown that a family holiday is fundamental to the health, well-being and emotional development of children and is an essential part of a happy family life.
In August the Government pledged to put families at the heart of policy-making with a test to ensure all domestic policies help family life. APD acts against this stated aim.
Currently only four other European countries levy a similar tax and UK passengers on average pay more than three times as much tax on their flights as German passengers and almost thirty times as much as French passengers. The Netherlands, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland have all abolished their departure taxes in recent years. Why should UK families be taxed so much more to travel on their annual holiday than their German, French, and other European counterparts?