Budget reaction
20 March 2013
Today the Chancellor George Osborne released details of his budget and confirmed that Air Passenger Duty is set to rise again from 1 April.
The document states that “APD rates for 2013-14 will rise in line with the RPI from 1 April 2013. Budget 2013 announces that APD rates for 2014-15 will rise in line with RPI from 1 April 2014.”
A spokeswoman for Aberdeen Airport said: “The campaign to freeze, scrap or at the very least fully investigate the impacts of APD has been both vocal and high profile. Our own study by York Aviation last year showed that APD could cost Scotland more than two million passengers a year by 2016, resulting in a loss of tourism spend worth £210m per annum. There have been numerous studies since that time and consensus from across industry that this tax is damaging. The budget today sends a worrying signal for our industry, and is an issue on which we must keep up the pressure.”
