An industry anti-Air Passenger Duty campaigner has pledged to continue to fight against the tax despite the government’s decision to press ahead with an 8% hike in April.
_w=800_h=600_pjpg.jpg?v=20230522122229)
Industry staff urged to sign Anti-APD e-petition before deadline
An industry anti-Air Passenger Duty campaigner has pledged to continue to fight against the tax despite the government’s decision to press ahead with an 8% hike in April.
Multicom managing director John Howell launched his own e-petition last November calling for a further freeze to APD rates, which generated more than 550 signatures in its first three days.
More than 800 signatures had been secured by the end of the year, highlighting the strength of feeling in the industry, claims Howell.
He is now calling for a continued campaign after AirAsia X announced it was pulling out of the UK from March, citing the cost of APD as a key factor in the decision.
The e-petition expires on February 18 and Howell urged all travel industry staff who have not yet signed it to do so before the deadline.
“We may not reach the magic 100,000 figure to trigger a debate in parliament but the more people who support this petition the less likely the government is to ignore the feeling of the industry,” he said.
Howell added: “While the government may have decided to press ahead with this increase in April the industry needs to remain strong and committed to fighting this unfair tax.
“It is damaging to our economy as can be seen by the decision of AirAsia X to pull out of Europe – the economic arguments expose exactly why it needs to be scrapped.
“I am delighted with the number of people who have supported the e-petition so far but there is still more to do.
“It is vital that as an industry we continue to present a united front and speak with a single voice on this issue.”
A link to the e-petition can be found at: www.multicom.co.uk/pages/our-activities/petition-for-a-freeze-on-air-passenger-duty
