Scrap tax on children’s flights, say campaigners

MANCHESTER Airports Group (MAG) has thrown its weight behind a campaign calling for an end to Air Passenger Duty (APD) on children’s flights.

At present children pay the same tax on their tickets as adults.

The Fair Tax on Flying group – a coalition of aviation, travel and tourism organisations – says this is wrong as there is a “well-established principle” that children are exempt from taxation.

It says APD adds £52 to the cost of a family of four’s flights to destinations in Europe and £276 to the US.

According to the campaign only four other European countries levy a similar tax, and UK passengers pay the most, and more than double the second highest charge which is applied in Germany.

A spokesperson said: “The tax on children’s flights is a strain on family budgets. Given that the tax is levied at the highest rates in the world, this tax surely fails to meet the Government’s own ‘family test’. Scrapping Air Passenger Duty on children’s flights will help to make an annual holiday more affordable for hard working – and hard pressed – families, at a minimal cost to Government.

“We’re urging people to support the campaign by using the online APD calculator, and sharing how much extra they have to pay, because of this eye-wateringly high tax, with the Chancellor.”

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