The Air Travel Advisory Bureau (ATAB) is teaming up with law firm Barker Gillette to launch a coordinated legal claim against UK airlines that have not refunded Air Passenger Duty (APD) to passengers who have booked flights and not flown.

Since the tax was introduced in 1994, ATAB estimates that consumers have lost out on millions of pounds in un-refunded APD. In fact, Which? Estimated that in 2003 alone Ryanair retained more than £5 million in un-refunded taxes.

ATAB Chairman, Tony White said, “It is a scandal that some airlines hang on to this money. It never belonged to them. It’s a tax collected on the behalf of the Government. With a couple of exceptions, most of the UK airlines make it as difficult as possible to get your money back. If you don’t actually fly, for whatever reason, you are entitled to get the APD refunded. The airlines already have your credit card details, they should refund your card immediately. They make it difficult or expensive in the hope that you’ll go away – and most people do just that”.

“It is truly shocking, we’ve found some airlines that will charge an “administration fee” greater than the value of the refund. This is a complete rip-off and it’s our intention to put an end to it. If you have booked an airline ticket out of the UK anytime since 1994, and not flown, then we want to hear from you” said White.

For more information in reclaiming APD on unused flights visit www.atab.org.uk/action-now/reclaim-your-taxes/

Due to road closures for the Ulster Grand Prix Bike Week, which runs from 7 – 13 August, Belfast International Airport is advising passengers to allow more time for their journey.

Road closures on the approach to Belfast International are well sign posted with diversions in place.

The main roads affected are: Hannahstown Road, Rock Road, Leathemstown Road, Cochranestown Road, Quarterland Road, Wheelers Road, Tornagrough Road, Upper Springfield Road, Ballycolin Road, Glenside Road, Rushyhill Road, Tullyrusk Road, Fort Road and Budore Road.

Road closure times are as follows:

• Wednesday 10 August 2011 – 13:30 – 21:30
• Thursday 11 August 2011 – 10:30 – 20:30
• Saturday 13 August 2011 – 09:30 – 20:30.

easyJet is set to increase flights to Amsterdam and Geneva from Belfast International Airport.

From 2 September 2011, an extra 2 flights per week (Monday and Friday) will be added to its Amsterdam schedule, and from 6 November an additional Sunday flight will be added.

The increase in Belfast to Geneva flights will be introduced from 11 December when an extra Sunday flight will commence.

A campaign to persuade the Chancellor to drop planned hikes in the tax levied on all flights leaving the UK was launched last Monday at airports across the country as a new poll is released showing 3 out of 4 people think that Air Passenger Duty (APD) should not go up in the next Budget. Of those saying APD should not go up 49 per cent said APD should be reduced. Only 6 per cent said APD should be increased.

The Chancellor announced in this year’s Budget that APD will rise by double inflation in 2012.

The ‘Hands off our Holiday’ campaign, backed by the Airport Operators Association (AOA), Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR-UK), and the British Air Transport Association (BATA) is urging people to email their MP via the website www.handsoffourholiday.com and to tweet their support for the hikes to be abandoned using the hashtag #handsoffourhols.

The poll, carried out by Opinium Research for the Hands off our Holiday campaign also shows that nearly 4 out of 5 people were unaware of the plans to further increase the tax by double inflation.

Commenting on the campaign, Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the AOA, said: “Our message to the Chancellor is that enough is enough. Air Passenger Duty has already gone up by 325% on long haul flights and 140% on short haul flights in the last five years. Family finances are under great pressure at the moment and most people save hard all year for their holiday. Working families deserve a break.”

Mike Carrivick, Chief Executive of BAR-UK, added: “The UK already has the highest rate of flight tax in the world. Why should families be discriminated against for wanting to fly off on a hard-earned break once a year?”

Simon Buck, Chief Executive of BATA said: “The government already takes nearly £3bn in tax from passengers. This is more than the tax on the banking industry. Most people simply aren’t aware how much flight tax they pay. The government should come clean about this stealth tax and drop the hikes planned for next year.”

A planned strike by UK Border Agency staff is likely to affect passengers arriving at some of the UK airports.

The 24-hour strike is scheduled to start this evening, Wednesday 29 June 2011 – start times vary at different airports due to shift patterns.

The Border Agency has issued the following advice to passengers arriving in the UK:

Around 70% of Border Agency staff are members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

Jet2.com has launched a scathing attack on the coalition’s recently proposed reform of Air Passenger Duty (APD) which could see the tax rise significantly in 2012.

Following on from BAA’s calls for Scotland to devolve responsibility for its own aviation tax in order to promote regional business travel and tourism, Jet2.com has highlighted how hard regional airports and their passengers, particularly those in the north, will be hit, should these rises come to fruition.

Ian Doubtfire, managing director of Jet2.com said, “The Government here already raises £2 billion a year from passengers and this is projected to rise to a staggering £3.6 billion in the future. Currently the UK is the only country in Europe to have such punitive taxes for air travel, with other countries either reducing or abolishing aviation taxes. We offer customers the opportunity to have a great flight experience at low fares from their local airport but the government seems hell bent on hitting people’s holidays in what is already a very tough time economically. We find it impossible to reconcile the coalition’s vision for an economic environment, in which the private sector can thrive, with its current proposals to increase APD again from 2012.”

Jet2.com supports the case that Northern Ireland and Scotland, in particular, will be hit severely by these huge increases, with an estimated loss in passenger spend alone of over £130 million in Scotland. The airline is firmly of the opinion that the Scottish Government is best placed to determine the balance between APD and the economic benefits of aviation growth and therefore fully supports the devolution of the matter to the Scottish Government. Also devolving the APD issue in Northern Ireland would facilitate a level playing field between the airports of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Ian Doubtfire, concluded, “When the Government came into power, it announced that it wanted to develop regional airports. We support regional airports in calling for lower rates of APD to enable them to develop new business and make tourism more attractive – both outbound and inbound. We would strongly recommend that the Government takes a more considered and practical approach to this stated vision, given the current economic environment; one which doesn’t discourage development. In our industry flights can be made available for customers to book, as far in advance as eighteen months. This allows travellers to get the best prices and plan their trips accordingly. The current decision to inflict such outrageous taxes so imminently shows little understanding of how the airline industry operates and its planning pressures. In the very least, we believe any changes shouldn’t happen until November 2012.

“In addition the Emissions Trading Scheme will kick in from 1 January 2012, therefore it is logical that APD, which is billed as ‘a green tax’, should be reduced on current rates and should definitely not be increased in the next budget.”

As the Treasury’s consultation on the reform of Air Passenger Duty (APD) enters its final week – ends on 17 June – ABTA is calling on the government to rethink the levels and structure of the tax which is the highest in the world.

APD is based on distance travelled and at present a family of four flying to Europe will pay £48 in APD, to the USA the tax increases to £240, to Australia the tax increases to £340 – all based on the economy rate – however, the cost of the tax is set to rise again next April by twice the cost of inflation.

Only five European countries impose some form of aviation tax with the UK’s level higher than anywhere else in the world. Denmark, Norway, Malta and Holland have all scrapped similar taxes as the revenue raised was outweighed by the damage caused to their economies. Ireland has pledged to follow suit shortly.

ABTA is part of the Fair Tax on Flying www.facebook.com/afairtaxonflying alliance that has united the travel industry to raise awareness of the high levels and illogical structure of APD, which is damaging UK travel and tourism and adding an additional tax burden to holidaymakers and business travellers at a time when fuel prices are reaching record levels.

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, said: “It is vital that the Government understands the damaging impact that APD is having on the tourism industry in the UK. We already pay the highest levels of aviation tax in the world, and if the Government goes ahead with its double-inflationary increase and levies an ETS tax on top of this in 2012, we will see another eye-watering increase in the tax burden on the industry and on holidaymakers and business travellers flying in and out of the UK. The industry is willing to pay its way, but this clearly puts us at a competitive disadvantage when compared with our European neighbours and punishes the travelling public unfairly.”

ABTA encourages all of its Members and any others who feel strongly to make their own submissions to the treasury at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_airpassenger.htm

Related stories:

Manchester Airport launches ‘give us a break’ APD campaign

UK Airport Consultative Committee: APD and European Emissions’ Trading Scheme = double taxation

Double taxation on flights from 2012

JLA urges chancellor to rule out double taxation

APD could threaten Scottish flights

Flights appear to be getting back to normal today after the ash cloud cleared UK air space, however, there may be disruptions to flights to Germany as the ash cloud has moved to northern Germany.

Belfast International Airport is planning to run a normal schedule today, but it is advising passengers to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport.

Delays and flight disruptions may be experienced on Scottish flights as a airlines get back to a normal schedule after yesterday’s disruptions and Edinburgh Airport is advising passengers to check with their airlines.

A recent survey of 154 MPs has shown that more than two thirds did not know about the double taxation that airport passengers are facing in 2012.

The survey, conducted by ComRes and Airport Operators Association (AOA), found that majority of the MPs were unfamiliar with the UK aviation industry’s planned entry into the EU Emissions Trading scheme (EU ETS) in 2012. This additional tax, coupled with a substantial increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) next year, will mean that air passengers face double taxation on flights.

Of those MPs who did know about the additional tax caused by the introduction of the EU ETS, 63% believe that APD should be reduced or abolished.

Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, said: “The ComRes / AOA survey shows that the majority of MPs do not know that air passengers will face onerous double taxation on flights from 2012. It is shocking that our policy-makers are unaware that holidaymakers and business people will be paying a new cost on flying – the EU Emissions Trading Scheme – as well as even more APD, already the highest in the world.

“Of those MPs who do actually know what is going on, more than 60% support the reduction or scrapping of APD to encourage economic growth by ensuring that passengers do not face a further tax rise in what are already tough economic times for everybody.”

Andrew Hawkins, Chairman of ComRes added: “Fuel duty in one form or another has long proved a toxic issue politically and the impact of the ETS should not be ignored by politicians. It is notable that of MPs who are aware of it, the majority view is to ameliorate its impact by varying Air Passenger Duty. The ETS issue has all the hallmarks of a powerfully dangerous political mix.”

Passengers due to fly between Luton and Belfast from next Monday, 9 May 2011, are reminded that this service will operate to / from Belfast International Airport from this date, not Belfast City.