Pilots welcome Scottish air passenger duty cut but say 'rest of UK must follow'

Release date: 16/12/2016

The announcement from the Scottish government committing to halving air passenger duty by 2021 is seen as a welcome move to pilots.

However, there is no such announcement for the rest of the UK to follow and the British Airline Pilots’ Association has called for a similar commitment from Westminster.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said:

“The news from Scotland is welcome but the rest of the UK must follow. More must be done and we would ultimately like to see a removal of this unfair tax.

“We have been calling for air passenger duty to be scrapped for many years and especially post-Brexit we need to ensure the British aviation industry remains competitive.
 
“The industry needs support in these uncertain times and a further rise will only serve to discourage Britons from air travel.”