APD + airport charges - Method of counting
Different airports may have their own way of doing this - I'm interested specifically in STN
An airline has to hand over money for APD to the Govt and charges to an airport per pax - and so there needs to be a way to count the number of pax for which this is due. I'm not interested in how to reclaim this money from an airline - that has been discussed elsewhere. I'm interested only in the method of counting for someone who checks in online. I can see 4 ways of counting this:
1) Pax checks in via Internet and prints boarding card at home
2) Pax presents boarding card at security for a barcode scan
3) Pax presents boarding card at departure gate, with part of the boarding card retained at the gate.
4) Headcount is taken on plane immedaitely prior to dispatch. Let's ignore the possibility of someone demanding to get off the plane after the doors are closed.
Methods 2 and 3 do not match in the event a pax gets waylaid in the shops and is left behind by the airline.
Methods 3 and 4 normally match - but not if the plane stops at STN as an intermediary stop on a flight covering 3 airports. Perhaps a theoretical difference, but nonetheless possible if an airline wishes to fly such a route.
Which method is used to count pax for both APD and airport charges ?