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The environmental lobby has responded furiously to reports that the government may cut Air Passenger Duty (APD) on domestic flights to rescue the ailing regional airline, Flybe .
Anna Hughes, director of Flight Free UK, said: “It seems very short-sighted that the government is considering making it even easier for people to choose to fly at a time when we need to be drastically reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
“Flying is already artificially cheap owing to a lack of tax on kerosene. To cut APD as well would be a disaster for the environment.
“At a time of climate crisis we need better travel alternatives, including more efficient and cheaper rail links between the cities that Flybe serves, not measures that would increase the number of domestic flights.
“The irony is that this news is being reported next to stories about the Australian bushfires, which British scientists have warned will become the new ‘normal’ and indeed become worse unless we achieve net zero emissions.
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In picturesShow all 40 1 /40Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the state of New South Wales on 31 December 2019
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billows from a huge bushfire that has torched over 200,000 acres of land in East Gipplsand, Victoria on 2 January
EPA
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Residents look on as flames tear through bushland in Lake Tabouriee, Australia on 4 January on 4 January
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola on 2 January
Robert Oerlemans via AP
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter tackles a bushfire in East Gippsland, Victoria on 31 December
EPA
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter gives water to a parched koala in Cudlee Creek, South Australia
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters tackle a blaze as it tears through a farm in New South Wales on 21 December
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky is turned red over East Gippsland as fires continue to rage through Australian bushland on 4 January
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A kangaroo near bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures An aerial view of a bushfire near Bairnsdale
State Government of Victoria/EPA
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters work to tackle a blaze on the outskirts of Sydney on 31 December 2019
Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighting helicopter dumps water on a bushfire on the outskirts of the town of Bargo near Sydney
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Children play at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A satellite image of the Batemans Bay showing smoke and fire from wild bushfires
European Union, Copernicus Sentinel Data via REUTERS
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The afternoon sky glows red from bushfires in Nowra
AFP/Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Burning embers cover the ground as firefighters battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria
Jonty Smith via Reuters
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The remains of burnt out buildings along a main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo
AFP/Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters try to protect homes around Charmhaven, New South Wales
NSW Rural Fire Service/AP
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale
Glen Morey via AP
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Business owners stand in front of their shop which was destroyed by a bushfire in Cobargo
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter dumping water on a fire in Victoria's East Gippsland region
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning/AFP
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Think smoke from bushfires fills the air in eastern Gippsland
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures "Carmelised" snow caused by dust from Australian bushfires is seen near Franz Josef glacier in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Firefighters hose down trees as they battle against bushfires around the town of Nowra
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland, Victoria. More than 800,000 hectares have been burnt in East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke billowing from a fire burning at East Gippsland
EPA/DELWP Gippsland
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures
LIFES.A.BREEZE via Reuters
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Smoke and wildfire rage behind Lake Conjola
Robert Oerlemans via AP
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A house and van are seen destroyed after bushfires ravaged the town of Bilpin, west of Sydney
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A helicopter fighting a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria's East Gippsland region
State Government of Victoria/AFP
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Fire and Rescue personal run to move their truck as a bushfire burns next to a major road and homes on the outskirts of the town of Bilpin
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Amy, left, and Ben Spencer sit at the showgrounds in the southern New South Wales town of Bega where they are camping after being evacuated from nearby sites affected by bushfires
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures A firefighter sprays foam retardant on a back burn ahead of a fire front in the New South Wales town of Jerrawangala
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Two bushfires approach a home located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo
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Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property damaged by the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield, Victoria
EPA
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Nowra
AFP via Getty
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures Property under threat from the East Gippsland fires in Sarsfield
EPA
Devastating wildfires rage across Australia: In pictures The main street of the New South Wales town of Bombala is pictured shrouded in smoke from nearby bushfires
AFP via Getty
“Making flying even cheaper, and therefore increasing the amount we do it, is not compatible with net zero.”
APD is the tax that applies to adult (16+) passengers boarding a flight from a UK airport. The rate of Air Passenger Duty depends on the class of travel and the destination of the flight.
For domestic flights in economy, the tax adds £26 to a return journey. It is not ring-fenced for any particular purpose, such as environmental projects, but goes straight into general taxation.
Flybe has been involved in “last-ditch” talks with ministers about its future , with reports that it would be closed down if the government did not offer help to keep it flying.
The regional airline was close to collapse last winter, but was taken over by a consortium led by Virgin Atlantic . It is due to be rebranded as Virgin Connect.
Lord Adonis, the last Labour transport secretary: “I certainly don’t think that we should be giving a free lunch to air passengers by removing Air Passenger Duty, which would be bad for the environment, bad for our green credentials and also would impose a big, big charge on the general taxpayer.”
The pressure group Regional & City Airports has long insisted APD “undermines the viability, sustainability and potential of regional airports”.
It has lobbied the Treasury to exempt airports handling under three million passengers a year from the flight tax.
Beneficiaries would include George Best Belfast City, Southampton, Cardiff and Exeter – all significant airports for Flybe.
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