MAG signs up to air tax campaign

Manchester Airports Group and airline Jet2.com have pledged their support to ABTA's A Fair Tax on Flying campaign ahead of Wednesday's budget.

The campaign is an alliance of more than 25 airlines, airports, tour operators, destinations and trade associations calling on the Government to make the system of aviation tax in the UK fairer. The UK already pays the highest level of aviation tax of any European country.

Jonathan Bailey, external affairs director of the Manchester Airports Group, said: "As an industry, we welcome that the Government has identified tourism as one of the top five industries to drive growth and we now need a system of taxation that supports that objective. The Government has indicated that they want to create the conditions for regional airports to flourish yet Air Passenger Duty makes regional airports less attractive to international carriers, leading them to choose alternative hubs such as Amsterdam. Many UK travelers are unaware that they pay the highest levels of flight tax in Europe and this is not a system that we can allow to continue if the Government is serious about allowing the North's economy to prosper."

The Fair Tax on Flying campaign members include: ABTA, ANTOR, AOA, British Airways, BAA, BAR UK, BATA, BMI, Bristol Airport, ETOA, Gatwick Airport, Jet2.com, Lastminute.com, Leeds Bradford Airport, London City Aiport, Luton Airport, Manchester Airports Group, Manston Airport, Monarch, Newcastle Airport, The Caribbean Council, The Co-Operative Travel, Thomas Cook, Tourism Alliance, TUI Travel PLC, ukinbound and Virgin Atlantic.