ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents) has criticized coalition government plans to veto airport expansion.
Mark Tanzer, ABTA CEO, said: "Before the Government makes final decisions about individual airports it needs to consider the overall capacity needs of the UK.
"Banning any airport expansion will severely damage UK PLC without significant environmental benefits as air traffic will simply migrate to our competitors on the continent."
However, the association welcomed the coalition's plans to adopt a per plane tax, which was a key point in the ABTA manifesto published before the election.
Tanzer said: "We have always stated that the travel industry should be taxed fairly and that a system more closely aligned to the efficiency of aircraft and distance travelled is the fairest way to achieve this."
"However the amount of this taxation must not be set at a punitive level."
Tanzer added that the per plane tax should be scrapped when the EU Emission's Trading Scheme comes into force in 2012.
ABTA plans to meet with newly appointed government officials, who include the new transport minister Philip Hammond.
"With all the change in the political world it is essential that MPs and Peers have a clear understanding of our industry's needs and concerns," said the association.