News

Airlines have slammed Conservative plans for new environmental taxes to combat climate change.

The proposals include VAT or fuel duty on domestic flights.

Virgin Atlantic claimed the taxes would damage the UK economy, while British Airways labelled the taxes an “extremely blunt instrument” to tackle carbon emissions.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne said the taxes would target frequent flyers and not family holidays.

However, a large number of families take connecting flights from regional airports to major terminals to go on holiday. These families would end up paying extra taxes on the domestic flight on top of those imposed on the international departure.

The Tories' Greener Skies consultation paper also proposes scrapping air passenger duty and replacing it with a tax based on carbon emissions.

Osborne said taxes need to hit “more dirty engines on aeroplanes” and not people that take one package holiday a year.

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