I do not relish the prospect of aviation fuel duty being imposed on our already beleagured industry - but wake up and smell the coffee guys!
Sooner or later we are all going to have to bear the true costs of the environmental impacts we create through consumption of the world's natural resources. So far aviation has had things pretty good - the poor old motorist and the haulage industry have not been so lucky and pay about 80% of their fuel costs as tax. Admittedly they also cause a lot of the air pollution responsible for 1/3 of UK children now suffering asthma sometime during their lives, and for the effects of global warming which will have a devastating and long term impact on all of us.
Increased tax on avtur/avgas will undoubtedly have a negative impact on aviation by increasing seat prices, as the airlines pass on the increased costs to the passengers. The smart and successful airlines will be the ones who can move the most passengers for the least amount of fuel consumed (as always), using the correct sized aircraft for the route and maximising the load factors. The manufacturers will also have to become more creative at making more efficient engines and coming up with fuels from renewable sources such as bio-matter. Fossil fuel resources are finite and will eventually run out. Let's hope the duty levied will be used wisely by the government to fund R&D to develop other fuels, but somehow I doubt it.