ABTA Air Passenger Duty MPs Survey

ComRes interviewed 157 MPs between 26th June - 24th July 2013 about Air Passenger Duty.

Date Published: 05 Dec 2013

Categories: Business | Policy Makers | Public Sector | Transport | UK

Description

Half of MPs believe APD is putting UK at a disadvantage

ABTA Research highlights MP and consumer concerns about APD as Chancellor announces further increases

 

Today’s Autumn Statement confirmed that Air Passenger Duty (APD) will increase again in April 2014 in line with inflation, meaning that economy class passengers could pay nearly £100 in tax per flight.

 

The confirmation of the increase comes as ABTA research reveals that MPs are increasingly divided in opinion about APD, with half (52%) saying that the tax is putting UK businesses at a disadvantage.  The same proportion also believe the tax is damaging the position of the UK as a hub for global air travel.  Significantly, Conservative MPs are most likely to believe the tax to be putting UK businesses at a disadvantage, with six in ten (60%) believing this. In the same survey last year 56% of Conservative MPs said this, showing that there is an increasing proportion of the party who are questioning the benefits of the tax.

ComRes interviewed 159 MPs between 10th and 30th October 2013. Data were weighted to reflect the exact composition of the House of Commons in terms of party representation and regional constituency distribution. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.