Passenger travelling to Bristol Airport from on the A370 via Congresbury need to be aware of roadworks starting on 3 October 2011.

Resurfacing work, which will last for approximately a week and a half, may cause delays in the area.

Passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey.

Eastern Airways is introducing more flights from Bristol Airport to Aberdeen and Leeds Bradford.

The regional airline will increase Bristol flights from to two three each weekday to both Aberdeen and Leeds Bradford from 3 October 2011.

Weekday flights to Leeds Bradford and Aberdeen will depart from Bristol at 6.45am, 12.05pm (Mon-Wed), 1.45pm (Thu-Fri), and 5.15pm (Mon-Wed) and 6pm (Thu-Fri).

Flights from Aberdeen to Bristol depart at 6.50am, 11.30am (Mon-Wed), 3pm (Thu-Fri) and 5pm.

Leeds Bradford flights to Bristol take off at 8.15am, 12.55pm (Mon-Wed), 4.20pm (Thu-Fri) and 6.35pm.

A Sunday service will also continue to be offered to both Leeds Bradford and Aberdeen from Bristol.

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/

Flights between Bristol Airport and Poland have proved a real success with Ryanair recently carrying its 500,000th passenger.

The airline currently offers flights between Bristol and Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw and Rzeszow and plans to reintroduce services to Katowice in November 2011.

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.”

Bristol Airport has received the Carbon Trust Standard for reducing its carbon emissions by almost 4%.

The airport, which has pledged to reduce its emissions by five percent per year, has already installed motion-sensitive lighting, new ventilation and air conditioning systems, new heating and a new western walkway, which has reduced the number of coach journeys.

To further reduce its carbon emissions, the airport plans further use of wind power and instal a biomass generator.

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).

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

Following a three-day conference in Sardinia, Bristol Airport is confident that it will be able to offer new destinations from the airport.

The Routes Europe conference enables representatives from airports and airlines to meet together to discuss options for new services.

After meeting with 20 airlines, Bristol is expecting to make several new route announcements in the future.

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.”