I find it disheartening the way aviation is picked out for govt bullying because its customers are perceived by your average air-headed voter/politician, as frivolous members of the bourgoisee, and therefore by definition, legitimate targets for totally disproportionate levels of wallet bashing.
The shipping industry pollutes on a far greater scale and the nature of the pollutants are more damaging (eg high levels of sulphur dioxides); yet that industry is almost entirely untaxed. Trains are also regarded as the target towards which air-travellers should be pushed, yet their pollutants emit into the low level amostphere which we all must breath from, not to mention the fact that the high level of the train's noise pollution is imposed upon residences at full volume and close proximity along its entire route; not just the start and finish like aeroplanes. Cars are of course highly polluting, and this is the means to which travellers will resort, for sectors such as London-Glasgow or Paris-Geneva; particularly when the convenience of door to door travel is now enjoyed.
Aviation is already massively taxed both through business tax and tax on tickets. Maybe a few letters to the editors of the broadsheets would help bring some balance to the public debate.