14 March 2016 – Airlines have welcomed today’s announcement by The Scottish Government of a consultation on a Scottish replacement to Air Passenger Duty (APD).

The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK), representing 70 airlines, supports the Scottish Government’s view that APD is an uncompetitive tax that is holding back the Scottish economy.

Dale Keller, chief executive of BAR UK said “The Scottish Government is leading the way on tackling this punitive departure tax on air passengers, and by doing so is sending a strong message to The Chancellor ahead of his Budget on Wednesday. If it makes sense for Scotland to consult on the best ways to reduce – and then scrap this tax, then it’s most surely time that Westminster does the same and, by so doing, take affirmative action towards unlocking the full economic potential for the UK as a whole.”