APD to be scrapped on BFS - EWR?
 

APD to be axed on Belfast – New York route? : Belfast Airport News Stories

What about the rest of the UK then? I'm sure there are areas in the UK that would benefit from better trade links such as BHX and MAN. With some fares could this mean it would be cheaper to fly from the UK mainland to connect with the CO flight to EWR? If that were the case watch out BHX and MAN.

The rest of the UK doesn't share a land border (and a completely open one with very good road connections) with a neighbouring EU country that has a €3 long haul departure tax.

Excellent
 

Excellent news. N I should receive this assistance. We are basically an island off an island. Consider travel to London. We fly there. People from EDI , MAN , GLA , NCL , etc etc can travel by car , coach or rail.

Quote "We fly there. People from EDI , MAN , GLA , NCL , etc etc can travel by car , coach or rail." - What! to New York?

I don't think Sealink quite understands this development. We are indeed still an island off an island, but this change makes no difference to domestic and short haul APD, only long haul APD, which is damaging to flights ex-BFS because DUB is cheaper and only two hours away.

Incidentally, DUB is still a nice airport to use and US Pre-Border Clearance is a huge bonus, so I for one will still compare prices ex-BFS and ex-DUB before committing all my future travels to CO's BFS-EWR run.

The underlying tone here guys is verging on the offensive and I think the mods should keep an eye on this thread before it gets to political

"Excellent news. N I should receive this assistance. We are basically an island off an island. Consider travel to London. We fly there. People from EDI , MAN , GLA , NCL , etc etc can travel by car , coach or rail. "

It costs more to drive to London than fly.... (unless you have a super efficient car) Rail? kind of depends but doesnt go direct to an airport in London so you still need to pay another fare. I would find it difficult to justify Coach considering the time (extra day to travel.)


Abolish it all over UK :-)

The fine detail is that it is not being abolished but the long haul APD is being reduced from £60 to match the short haul duty of £12. Interesting that flights in the Scottish islands have no APD so there are already regional differences

Its all well and good for Gov to reduce taxes but what have Belfast int airport done to help CO?
It is costing CO more to operate from BFS than DUB. Passenger service charges are higher in BFS than DUB.

Its not just the BFS but MAN and BHX, LHR etc are costing CO more to operate from.

J636
 

I think you miss the point here, CO have traffic bleeding to Dublin from BFS that makes BFS loss making, that is not happening to traffic at MAN/BHX/LHR, the bottom line is that is more costly if you live on the mainland to try and avoid the punitive levels of APD charged here, where as in NI you can nip on a bus/train or drive down to Dublin and save money, many are doing just that and interlining with KLM via AMS before flying back over the UK & NI West bound, not very green is it?

If you look at the Ugov website on APD it sets all the rules out about what is a linked flight, fly from say MME to AMS with KLM in economy and then to Vancouver in business and the UK APD system will charge you £11.00 for the flight to AMS plus the full APD business rate for the Vancouver portion as though you had flown from the UK direct.

It even worse from NI fly with bmi from BHD to LHR and onto Vancouver return, you pay APD on the first two sectors, stay overnight in LHR when you get back and you'll get clobbered for APD on your flight back to BHD.

The very fact that the Government appear to have given way on this suggest a major review is incoming, probably to be announced at next April's budget for implementation in 2012/13, this would have been to late for CO plans, if its valid for New York its valid for all long haul flights

Green my arse!!

As others are saying... if the Government recognises that it is harming Northern Ireland, why is the same principle not applicable to the UK mainland?

APD is a poor excuse for a tax which really needs sorting out. I don't blame 'the politicians'; I blame the misinformed money grabbers. We need a fairer tax and less of a tax. A pie chart for govt. income shows that it is a tiny tax which causes huge harm. Something needs to be done.

APD
 

APD is of course a strange tax as presently levied. However Northern Ireland is, as has been stated above, the only part ofthe UK with a land border with another country - the Republic of Ireland where APD is €3. In addition, Dublin airport is less than 2 hours from Belfast by road. In the Scottish Island, for different reasons, APD is zero so the arguement for different amounts of APD for different regions has already been accepted.

This puts Northern Ireland in something of a unique position compared to Man, BHX and LHR where Facelookbovvered says United Continental is making a loss (if this is correct why have services not been reduced/cut?).

Eh? The whole point of taking the train is that it plonks you right in the city centre. It is the journey from the airport into the city centre that can add an extra fare, sometimes not that different to the advance purchase fare all the way from EDI to LON. If you mean rail for taking connecting flights, very few people would travel by land from Scotland to take a flight from a London airport.

The iniquity imho is that if you are making a domestic journey in the UK (benefitting the UK economy), you will still pay two sets of APD. Fly anywhere else, and you will only pay once, or you will at least pay a much lower rate for the return leg back to the UK - afaik, the highest APD equivalent in Europe currently being €8 (Germany).

Errrrrrrrr......... Offensive??? I have read through the threads and can see nothing that can be read as offensive. What do you mean?

Planemike

Planemike,

I was thinking exactly the same thing! APD is inherently political - it is labelled as a green tax, but is no such thing, and now we have a regional variation, in addition to the Scottish and Welsh (often pso aswell) exemptions mentioned above.

If we want the gloves off, dare I mention the relative funding differences between the different corners of the UK, a disparity which will only be increased further by this move. Fire away!

With no new runways planned at Heathrow, and the Govt wanting more flights to regional airports, then surely they have to increase APD to London Airports and reduce it to regionals such as BHX,MAN ??.

Otherwise airlines such as United into BHX will be forced to pull out.

You shouldn't be clobbering Regionals.:=

Nigel

As you say, given the lack of capacity at LHR (and in the SE generally), increased APD at LHR and/or reduced APD at regionals should seem like an obvious step which might help to boost regional economies as well. However, this is government we're talking about (and one that draws a large part of its support from the SE):rolleyes:.

I personally think this has set a dangerous precedent.

Why should 1 single route one 1 single airline be given preferential treatment? Yes it is great for Belfast, but its not just Belfast that is being strangled by this tax.
Where was the governments assistance when Air Asia X publicly cited they chose not to fly from Manchester due to APD? With this in mind, I can see other airports using this to lobby change.

The thing is though, whilst the fare prices may be higher, there is nothing stopping an individual hopping on a ferry or the Euro tunnel to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam, and surely that whilst the numbers wont be earth shattering, there must be some leakage to avoid APD that way?
That's no different to those in Northern Ireland hopping over the border for reduced fares there.

APD Consultation
 

I have a letter sent to me via my MP from Justine Greening a Treasury Minister in which she points out that the 2011 Budget announced a freeze in APD and the launch of a consultation on its future structure.

The APD consultation was completed on 17 June this year and set out proposals for simplifying the current banding system as well as inviting views on the subject of devolution (of APD) to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The consultation received 'many responses from people and organisations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland'.

Justine Greening went on to say that 'several airlines, airports and individuals have raised concerns regarding the potential distortion arising from differential APD rates between Cardiff and Bristol, as well as between Newcastle and the Scottish airports'.

The Government is considering the views and evidence submitted and will publish a response in the autumn.

If APD is ultimately devolved to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland those countries' governments could reduce (even to a nil band) or alter their APD rates whilst English airports' APD would still be regulated by the Westminster Government.

It may well be that the reduction in Northern Ireland's long haul APD rates is a short term measure that could be further altered locally if this tax is devolved to the Northern Ireland Government.

read my comment again.... MrBenip
 

MrBenip & ara01jbb. Please read and understand my comment as i completely understand this issue. You will see i say " consider travel to London ". I am making a statement that to travel BHD/BFS to London you fly. as we are an island off an island we should be a special case when it comes a APD. Similar to the Highlands and Islands. If We are forced to fly then ALL APD should be reduced or scrapped....... ALL OVER THE UK PERHAPS. The reduction on the BFS to EWR should also apply to Domestic. MrBenip..... or MR Sarcastic should i say...... hardly drive to New York!!!!! Your joke is hilarious!!! As i said my comment was a general comment relating to travel to London from N Ireland. An ara01jbb..... I understand this relates to CO BFS EWR Long Haul APD. 16 years in the airline industry helps me understand!!!!