An aviation lobby group has written to the chancellor to calling for a temporary suspension of Air Passenger Duty as the sector recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Future of Aviation group was set up by MP Henry Smith in May to help secure support from UK government for the sector in the wake of the crisis.
Conservative MP for Crawley, Smith, took to Twitter to post the letter he wrote to Rishi Sunak calling for the tax break ahead of an anticipated raft of measures to boost the UK’s recovery which are due to be announced.
The group is calling for a pause on the tax, which is hailed by environmental groups, until the end of the 2021 summer season.
Smith’s letter, signed by more than 20 MPs, said: “We write in advance of your anticipated announcement of measures to help Britain’s economy recover from the impacts of Covid-19 and to urge you to include a temporary suspension of Air Passenger Duty (APD) in these measures in order to allow our aviation sector to rebuild and play their full role in the economic and national recovery.
As Future of Aviation Group Chair – @aviationfutgrp – alongside parliamentary colleagues, I’ve written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling for a suspension of Air Passenger Duty until the 2021 summer season ends to support jobs, economic growth and UK recovery from CV19. pic.twitter.com/XXoQYX2W1c
— Henry Smith MP