EasyJet: APD harming NI tourism

Low-cost carrier EasyJet has said that high air passenger duty taxes are harming tourism in Northern Ireland.

Travel Insurance News - 13/09/2012

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Low-cost carrier EasyJet has said that high air passenger duty taxes are harming tourism in Northern Ireland.

The comments came this week at a meeting in the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, during which carrier officials said that the APD is among the biggest barriers between tourists and Northern Ireland.

Paul Simmons, EasyJet’s director of UK operations, also said to MPs that his carrier remains “committed” to the country despite the record of other airlines tending to “come and go”. He added that the EasyJet has carried more than 34 million passengers to and from the Northern Ireland market since launching service from Belfast.

However, he went on to say that local residents are now disadvantaged by the APD since the rate on short-haul flights remained unchanged last year despite a significant reduction for rates applied to long-haul services.

Luton-based EasyJet now operates 23 routes from Northern Ireland airports, accounting for more than 45 per cent of the total market, according to reports.

The news comes as numerous UK-based airlines and travel industry organisations continue to put pressure on London to reduce or eliminate APD rates, which they say are the highest in the world.

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