The UK business aviation lobby has launched a vigorous campaign to convince the British government that its plans to extend the existing airline passenger duty (APD) to private aviation are discriminatory and disproportionate. The British Business & General Aviation Association (BBGA) has joined forces with the British Helicopter Association (BHA) to demand urgent meetings with UK Treasury officials to draw attention to what they say are false assumptions contained in the consultation document presented by the government on March 22. The groups have the backing of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).
One of the key arguments against the tax will be that it is anti-competitive in that one of the anticipated outcomes will be to encourage travelers to abandon business aircraft use and return to airline service. The UK Treasury’s consultation document shows that it consulted only with airline interests in drafting the outline proposals. The BBGA will point out that business aviation often flies passengers between destinations that are not served by the airlines, meaning that these people have no viable alternative. The new tax would apply to all aircraft weighing more than 5.7 metric tons (12,566 pounds).
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