Where's Ottowa?

- it's comforting to see that HMRC employees can spell.

I wonder at what point a consortium will form to build an airport 12 miles out at sea in the Thames estuary connected to the mainland by a bridge - free of taxes.

Ottowa
 

Ottowa is about 30 miles southeast of Nagoya in Japan.
Sometimes spelt Otowa in English, but I guess the transliteration from Kanji to Roman script is variable.

missing the point... I fear not.
 

DJ6

You miss the point, post tax income.... yes.. but businesses have to pay.. so where do they go... abroad. Once there what happens to secondry service providers to the industry in the UK. They suffer so go... less jobs, less revenue... less spending and so the spiral starts. It is dificult to halt once in motion. Sentiment is also a significant factor & the perceptions around business and trading enviroments. No reason to calm down I assure you!

I see Taiwan has been recognised as a separate country....that will please Beijing....:E

I am firmly convinced, Global Warming/Climate Change is purely a political issue.
Yet another stealth tax.

Yeah, We will never 'WIN' with this Labour Govt = Muppets In Parliament!!!

I'm sure there all on 'Drugs' = They all look rather pale inc 'Darling'

The British Govt = More brains In A Pork Pie.

Laughing Stock Of Europe.

Most of the comments posted on this thread could have come straight from Private Eye's "From The Message Boards".

New tax will play into hands of Euro hubs and their base airlines
 

This new tax system, will play directly into the hands of the Euro hub base carriers.

Pay £12 in 2012 to go to BKK via FRA / CDG / ZRH or AMS or £85 to fly direct from LHR.

If you are booking for 2 pax, then absolute no-brainer to go via Europe.

So basically, after this who needs a 3rd runway, when Brits will be using the 4th, 5th and 6th runways in Europe:D

While not an apologist for Labour (New or Old) it should be noted that APD was originally introduced by the Tories (I should know - I had a slanging match in my office about it with Nicholas Soames who was, at the time, Tory MP for Crawley). The excuse for its introduction was to compensate for the fact that aviation fuel is not taxed. Every time the eco warriers start going on about the fact that aviation fuel is not taxed we all, as an industry, need to shout back "THAT ISWHY WE HAVE APD". I don't think these increases will have any significant effect, any more than cutting VAT from 17.5% to 15% will stimulate sales (you never see M&S, Debenhams etc advertising their 2.5% off sales - its always 20%+). I don't think its really fair to paint Labour as totally anti aviation. Some vociferous back benchers certainly but if they give the go ahead for a new runway at LHR......

so this should kill the UK charter premium class cabins instantly....they're all flights in the max distance range and with 2 classes on board are charged at the higher rate, how many families are going to pay 4x £170 in APD alone for their hols?

Didn't I read somewhere that aviation is responsible for less than 2% of the greenhouse gases produced. But hey its an easy target just like the motorist with the "safety cameras". Easier to tax the airlines than the farmers whos cows produce much more greenhouse gas.Also notice since the average global temperature has stared to fall, the greenies call it 'climate change' instead of 'global warming' .That way if the temperature goes up or down its still all our fault, and these are the same experts that a while ago were saying the whole planet will be a searing desert in a few years.
We are all dooooomed Captain Mainwaring.
Rant button to standby
D

The last doubling of APD was announced the day after the decision to replace Trident. 'Airline passengers forced to pay for Weapons of Mass Destruction' said the headlines - not.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this tax is levied on all flights taking-off from or landing at UK airports, right? Therefore if, as a Brit, I choose to fly longhaul from my home base in Switzerland and I go via LHR I get hit with the tax. And If I choose to go e.g. via FRA or CDG I don't. Therfore Luftie or AF have a distinct advantage over BA for flight arrangements originating in mainland EU to US or Asia. I know which route I will take and it's not via London. I think that is going to have a greater effect than on those of you living in the UK who will have to pay the tax anyway to get out of good 'ole Blighty.

If I was you jewitts I would do anything to avoid that hellhole called Heathrow.

Aviation is under-taxed relative to other forms of public transport. APD should be replaced with fuel duty to allow level competition.

Fact is, much of the recent growth of air travel is due to leisure pax having multiple foreign jollies on locos, funded on never-never credit cards. Given the collapse in credit, and the subsequent drop in pax numbers at some airports, it shows that the whole system is built on myth and fresh air and is unsustainable long-term.

I feel sorry for those that lose their jobs in this industry, but it's only one industry that's suffering along with all the others e.g. coal, car manufacturing, retail, banking (by which I mean the counter staff at Northern Rock or B&B, not the city types).

Tough but true.

Momentary Lapse, why aren't the railways and shipping taxed? Unless there is a level playing field and all airlines regardless of nationality are taxed equally we can kiss goodbye to major UK based scheduled airlines. "Global warming" isn't restricted to the UK, is it? No doubt next year the so called climate experts will be forecasting an impending mini ice age and nu labor will have to think up another reason to continue their CO2 rip-off.