Article content
17 November 2011 by Luke McCormick
Airline chiefs from British Airways' parent company IAG, Virgin Atlantic, Easyjet and Ryanair will today set aside their differences to launch a major offensive against Air Passenger Duty.
The executives are due to unveil a joint campaign, under the slogan ‘Axe the Tax', at the London Stock Exchange this morning.
The campaign is being launched ahead of Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement on 29 November, when many in the industry fear a sharp rise in APD will be announced from next April, which could amount to double the rate of inflation.
The four airlines will use the campaign to highlight how the rise will negatively impact the UK economy.
Wexas managing director, Steve Allen, told Travelmole: "A united front, along with ABTA's campaign is most welcome and hopefully not too late...industry-wide Visit Britain needs to be banging the same drum too.
"The Minister must have access to a cost/benefit analysis to examine the broader economic consequences both short-term and medium-term for UK PLC, and this would make compelling reading.
"The bigger picture will be much more significant than short-term revenue generation, and one that I'd have expected the Conservative Party to embrace, even with a Liberal minister...wake up at the Treasury please."