easyJet has taken out advertisements in the national newspapers as part of its long-running campaign to make air tax greener and to cut out the subsidies.The adverts reveal the following information:

“Last year, the Government announced that it will scrap the current structure of Air Passenger Duty (APD) and replace it with a flight tax, i.e. a tax on planes. We have long argued that the current structure of APD is just plain wrong. A tax that penalises families but excludes private jets and cargo, and charges passengers travelling to Marrakech the same as those travelling to Melbourne, is just plain wrong.  Passengers flying in the newest, cleanest aircraft cause less pollution and should not pay the same as someone flying in an old gas-guzzling aircraft.

“But other airlines, especially those with older, long haul aircraft flying from hubs, are not as forward thinking as easyJet. Many airlines are secretly lobbying the Government to get a free ride for their transfer passengers (who already get a £350 million subsidy by avoiding APD) and for their longest flights. Some cargo airlines think their planes should continue to pay no tax at all!

“Our view is simple:

              # Everyone should pay their fair share, proportionate to their aircraft emissions - and no more.
              # Dirtier planes should pay more
              # This should not be a Trojan horse for the Government to raise a further £500m.”

Andy Harrison, easyJet Chief Executive, said:

        “Any airline that wants a free ride for its transfer passengers is expecting someone else to subsidise them. This is not right. We have a one-off opportunity to make air tax a greener tax, and to cut out the subsidies that make the current Air Passenger Duty such a poor tax.

        “Air tax must be a greener tax which encourages airlines to behave more responsibly, not a mechanism to support the weak parts of the airline industry. - and no-one should get a free ride.”
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