Rishi Sunak hikes tax on home flights – however not personal jets or helicopters
Rishi Sunak is mountain climbing taxes on home flights – however not for folks flying by personal jet and helicopter.
Details buried within the Finance Bill present that the Government will increase Air Passenger Duty (APD) on all flights inside the UK from April, aside from the ‘higher’ fee that covers personal jets.
Passengers travelling by economic system will see the tax added to the price of their fare raised from £6.50 to £7 underneath plans introduced in final 12 months’s Budget. Travellers utilizing premium economic system or enterprise class flights will see the obligation will enhance £13 to £14.
But the tax for personal jets stays frozen at £78 – and helicopters are completely exempt because it solely applies to “fixed-wing” aircrafts. A Treasury doc setting out the coverage mentioned: “This measure will impact on some individuals who travel by air, who may see an increase in air fares.”
Treasury Minister Gareth Davies admitted this was the case throughout a committee listening to in Parliament this week(TUES). He advised MPs “helicopters are not part of the APD regime, but they do incur fuel duty, and buying a helicopter incurs VAT”. He added: “The rate on private jets is significantly more than any commercial flight passenger will pay.
It comes amid ongoing criticism over the Prime Minister’s frequent use of luxury air travel. VIP flight addict Mr Sunak used RAF jets and helicopters more regularly than his last three predecessors during his first year, casting doubt on his climate credentials and fuelling claims he’s out of touch.
An audit by the Mirror previously found he ran up a £43,730 bill with the Ministry of Defence for 20 domestic flights on RAF planes and helicopters in his first 11 months in Downing Street. That works out at an average of £2,186 per flight. Tory donors have also paid for £85,583 worth of domestic flights during the same period of time.
Shadow Financial Secretary James Murray said: “At a time when Rishi Sunak is raising taxes on working people that are set to leave the average family £1,200 worse off, it beggars belief that he is freezing taxes on his private jet trips around the UK.
“It shows just how out of touch the Conservatives are that, at the same time, they’re pushing up taxes on everyone else’s domestic fights. Yet again, it is one rule for them, another for everyone else.”
The cost of domestic travel has risen since the Tories took power, as the average fare went up by £63 between 2010 and 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics.
An HM Treasury spokesperson said: “We are completely dedicated to delivering on our net-zero commitments. That’s why personal jets might be excluded from the home Air Passenger obligation (APD) lower and a brand new ultra-long haul is being launched to make sure that those that fly furthest contribute essentially the most.
“Charging APD on helicopters runs the risk of incentivising the use of lighter aircraft that wouldn’t be as safe in harsh environments and some use aviation gasoline, which already incurs fuel duty.”
