THE PROPOSED CHANGES to air passenger duty (APD), which was originally introduced as a green tax on aviation, will result in an increase of CO2 emissions by up to 360,000 tonnes per year, a new study has revealed.
Under the current government proposals, announced as part of the government's annual budget in March, APD would be increased from £12 to £16 per person on flights of up to 2,000 miles, but reduced on long-haul flights. According to research by Frontier Economics, commissioned by easyJet, these changes will increase CO2 emissions by encouraging more long-haul flights.
The report also predicted that if the government's proposals for APD went through, UK passenger numbers would fall by 3 million per year, reducing UK GDP by £2.6 billion per year. EasyJet has started a public campaign against APD - 'Tax Planes Not People'.