The UK’s Freight Transport Association (FTA) has rejected government proposals for the introduction of a duty on individual air flights which it says would, for the first time, impose a tax on air freight and reduce the competitiveness of highvalue UK exports.
The FTA, which represents the interests of some 12,000 companies in the UK, said that such a tax would add "unnecessary costs to UK air freight services, some of which would switch to continental airports and then truck goods in and out of the UK, adding to UK road congestion".
The new aviation duty is aimed at replacing the current air passenger tax and instead put in place a charge per take-off from UK airports based on maximum take-off weight and distance to be traveled.
"Other EU countries do not impose such a tax. The new duty is intended to raise revenue rather than generate any environmental benefits, which, if obtained, would merely be a bonus," said the FTA.