How much are airport taxes in the UK?
This subject makes me quite cross. Airlines offer air fares at ridiculously low prices and then they charge for airport servicing and a massive “fuel surcharge” which they lump together with UK Government Tax.
Thus on a fare to Sydney*, for example, airlines and travel agents will say that “the price is £479 return, plus £403 tax, Total £882.00”
And we gasp.
The actual UK government tax in this case was £85.00 (less than 10%)
Now, £85 is not an inconsequential amount of money but it is much lower than VAT. And the airlines pay no tax on the aviation fuel that they consume.
Yet airlines continue to claim that government tax is destroying their industry. We think that that’s a bizarre claim.
A £226 fuel surcharge applies to the above journey. That is what’s destroying the industry.
Why should air travel be tax exempt?
If we want to complain, it should be that the First Class passenger who can afford to pay £7,962 for the same journey, should only pay £170 tax, or less than 2½ %
*Etihad London-Sydney out 4 February Back 15 February Air Fare £479 Fuel Surcharge £226 Airport and other government’s taxes £92.83 Total £882.83
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 at 3:53 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
