The travel industry’s anti-Air Passenger Duty lobby has won the support of the Taxpayers’ Alliance.
The UK think-tank gave its backing to the Fair Tax on Flying group’s latest campaign calling on MPs to oppose APD.
More than 4,000 people visited the afairtaxonflying.org website in its first week and sent and email to their MP using the site’s standardised template
Campaign organisers plan to release more data about the early success of the campaign later this week.
But they say that hundreds of consumers have been tweeting about the campaign, which is using social media channels to spread the word and encourage support among travellers.
Taxpayers’ Alliance campaign director Emma Boon said: “Britain’s punitive taxes on flights, now the highest in the world, are an incredible burden on families taking a well-earned break.
“Jobs are also at stake as tourists and business travellers choose a destination to visit or invest where they won’t get ripped off. Air Passenger Duty should really be abolished, but the very least politicians can do is cut this tax to a fairer level.”
In an appeal to the think tank’s supporters she added: “A Fair Tax on Flying is asking the public to write an email to their MP to oppose the current levels of APD.
“Air Passenger Duty is having a damaging impact on the ability of ordinary families to take a well-earned holiday and it’s having a damaging impact on our economy, at the worst possible time. It’s time for, at the very least, a fair tax on flying; add your name to the list to get politicians listening.”
Air Operators Association chief executive Darren Caplan, responding to the early surge in support for the campaign, said: “We’re delighted that the campaign has made such a strong start in the first week with over 4,000 people sending the email to their MPs.
“However, there is a long way to go and we need lots more people to visit afairtaxoflying.org and send the email template to their MP to tell them that APD is now too high.
“Only when tens of thousands of people have sent the email will MPs have to take notice of their constituents.”