I'm just waiting for the handicap of VAT on jet fuel to pass through the new parliament and that should finish off the last of us
Much as I love the aviaton industry and my airline career, my "Green conscience" disagrees with your sentiment!
A few days ago, we despatched a LGW-MAN aircraft with 29 pax, a LGW-JER with 11 pax and a LGW-EDI with 14 pax. (The return loadings were not much better) Just think of all that kerosene and carcinogenic smoke pi55ing out the jets and fogging up the landscape for no real purpose! If taxation makes airlines, who are the biggest contributors to global pollution, start thinking responsibly and consolidating flights (Perhaps BA, BMI, EasyJet etc will communicate by computer one day with this in mind) with low pax volumes then I'm all in favour!
Don't forget, when the US government and the British Government gave financial help to the ailing industry, that money was used to reduce fares! Fares need to be set at a responsible level, so that the traveller pays for the global destruction to which he/she is contributing, and the world's polluters need to act responsibly!
The trouble with pollution, carcinogens and noxious substances is that we can't see the damage we're causing. Undoubtedly, some of the additional deaths in oncology units around the world is caused by our industry and our lust for foreign travel!
Just think about this for a second:
The Road Haulage Industry, which carries essential items around the countryside - livestock to the processing plants, meat and veg to the supermarkets etc has to pay VAT on fuel. The Bus and Coach operator pays VAT on their fuel purchases - Why not aviation? Why should the yachtsman be exempt from VAT? - after all, flying and boating are both leisure pursuits!