EasyJet to scrap number of UK flights following Labour’s budget tax hikes
EASYJET has confirmed that they will be reducing a number of UK flights due to rise in air passenger duty (ADP).
Earlier this month, the government confirmed that ADP would rise by around £2 per flight.
This means a return domestic route would cost around £32 per flight.
In response, easyJet‘s finance chief Kenton Jarvis said that they would be “taking a bit of capacity out of UK domestic”.
This would affect flights from London to both Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Telegraph reports.
And the fewer flights, the more expensive fares will become due to demand outstripping availability.
Mr Jarvis said: “We were really happy when the Government said they were pro-growth and I understand why they want to increase things like the minimum wage.
“But the ADP is really disappointing. Fundamentally, it’s exactly what they said they didn’t want to do, which is to tax the working person.
“We’re an island and we’re taxing what gets the economy moving. It’s at loggerheads with being pro-growth. I don’t think it’s a smart move.”
The airline hasn’t confirmed how many flights would be affected.
Sun Travel has contacted easyJet for additional comment.
EasyJet is the largest airline in Scotland, with a record 8.2million passengers last year.
It follows a similar warning from Ryanair who said they would reduce UK capacity by around 10 per cent – working out to five million passengers.
The airline’s boss Michael O’Leary previously said: “If they raise APD again on domestic flights then there will be a cut in capacity, no question.
“These routes are not particularly profitable, they barely break even. APD is a penal tax on the poor. The rich don’t care.”
ADP was introduced in 1994, with the UK having some of the highest rates in the world.
Most of Europe no longer have ADP taxes, having scrapped them in recent years.
Initially, return UK flights were exempt, but this was scrapped in 2001.
However, if you miss your flight you can claim your ADP back, even if you can’t get the full cost of the ticket.
The highest amount you can claim is £202 each although this is for any class that is business or higher, when travelling further than 5,500 miles from the UK.
This means destinations like the Maldives and Thailand.
Closer to home, you could get a refund between £7 and £14 for missed domestic flights.
Or flights up to 2,000 miles from the UK – which covers places like Spain and Portugal – is between £13 and £26.
Some airlines charge you to request the ADP refund, such as Ryanair and British Airways, although easyJet and Emirates are free of charge.