UK airlines say that scrapping hated departure tax would create 60,000 jobs
Skift Take
While there's no doubt the end of taxes would produce a small bump in inbound traffic, PricewaterhouseCoopers is out of its gourd if it thinks scrapping the tax would boost tourism by 40%. The biggest benefit to cutting the tax will be outbound tourism.
Airlines have told the Chancellor they can help “drag Britain out of recession” if he abolishes Air Passenger Duty (APD) at next month’s Budget.
Scrapping the controversial tax, which applies to all passengers flying from a UK airport, would deliver a 0.45pc boost to GDP within 12 months and could generate 60,000 jobs by 2020, according to a report commissioned by British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic.
APD adds £13 to the cost of a short-haul flight, up from £5 in 2007, and as much as £92 in the case of long-haul. Airlines argue it acts as a major barrier to both tourism and potential investment in Britain.
The UK is currently ranked 134th out of 138 c
