Why we are calling for “A Fair Flight For The South West”

Every time you fly from a UK airport you pay £13 in Air Passenger Duty (APD) – rising to £71 for long-haul flights (£73 from this April). If you fly business class, the rate doubles. That’s a big hit to your holiday budget, and a brake on businesses looking to trade overseas.

The UK Government is considering giving the Welsh Government the power to set the rate of APD paid by passengers flying from Cardiff Airport. This could mean airlines opting to relocate from Bristol Airport to take advantage of a lower tax rate. The result would be a reduced network of destinations available from the South West.

We agree that scrapping APD would be a good thing – but not if it favours only one airport to the detriment of its neighbours. We expect competition, but it should be on a level playing field. 

To find out more about this issue watch our short video.

If you want to support our campaign for “A Fair Flight For The South West” please write to your MP asking them to raise your concerns with the Chancellor.

Useful facts and figures:

• Bristol and Cardiff Airports are less than 60 miles apart and compete in overlapping catchment areas.
• Devolution of APD to Wales could result in the loss of up to 33 routes at Bristol Airport – almost one third of the network – over the next decade, as well as jeopardising prospects of securing the return of long-haul flights.
• This could result in the loss of £843 million in Gross Value Added and more than 1,500 jobs in the regional economy over the same period.