Ryanair has gone back on a pledge not to bill passengers for the additional Air Passenger Duty due on flights booked before an increase in the tax was announced.
Chancellor Gordon Brown revealed last month that the tax would double from February 1, rising from £5 to £10 on short-haul flights.
The announcement caught out airlines and tour operators, leaving them with a collective bill for more than £100 million in unpaid APD on bookings already taken.
Ryanair responded by saying it would refuse to pay the retrospective tax on 250,000 bookings – a bill for £1.25 million.
But now it has begun emailing passengers who booked flights before the announcement on December 6, asking them to pay the additional £5.
It said those who refused to pay would not be allowed to fly, although they would be entitled to a full refund.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary accused Brown of “using the environment to steal more taxes from passengers”.
EasyJet and Monarch are also asking passengers to pay the increase, but British Airways has said it will not pass on the extra tax to those who paid before the rise was announced.
Tour operators have to pick up the bill themselves because of the Package Travel Regulations and are considering a legal challenge.
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