ABTA is to seek confirmation from the German Government that in two years time they will axe a new aviation tax which will add 8 Euros on flights to the UK. The German Government confirmed the introduction of the tax on 1 September as part of a package to reduce the German deficit. However it has not reconfirmed that it will axe the tax in 2012 when the EU’s emission trading scheme [ETS] comes into effect.

Luke Pollard ABTA Head of Public Affairs said “The introduction of this tax is a seriously regressive step that will impact on UK visitor numbers to Germany and Germans coming to the UK. The German Government has previously stated that this tax would be a temporary measure and abolished in 2012 when the EU’s Emission Trading Scheme [ETS] comes into effect and we will be writing to obtain confirmation that this is still their intention. In addition ABTA also believes strongly that the UK’s own aviation tax APD should also be reconsidered when we enter ETS in two years time.”

In 2008 the Dutch Government abolished a similar tax giving the reason that the revenue raised was far less than the revenue lost due to a decrease in traffic as customers switched to competing airports in France and Germany.