UK Travelers Brace for Airfare Surge: Air Passenger Duty Hike Takes Effect Next Week

Effective April 1, changes to the APD will affect flights departing from the United Kingdom. This tax is levied on every passenger flying to and from UK airports and is generally incorporated within the overall ticket price. The amount varies depending on the distance of the journey and the class in which passengers choose to travel.

The adjustments to the APD will impact both long-haul and short-haul flights, with the effect differing between domestic and international routes. Travelers should prepare for these changes as they plan their upcoming trips.

The tax, which is paid by all passengers travelling on flights to and from UK airports, is typically included in ticket prices, with rates based on distance and class of travel.

Long-haul and short-haul routes will be affected at varying amounts, as well as domestic versus international flights. 

Economy short-haul journeys will see a £2 rate increase, according to Business Travel News Europe. 

Meanwhile, long-haul flights have been hit with a 13 per cent rate increase. 

Band A destinations, which are located closer to the UK and include spots in the EU and European Economic Area will pay an APD of £15, up from £13 for economy.

Higher classes will rise from £14 to £16, and the charge on private jets for these destinations is set to increase to £142, from £84. 

The rises in Air Passenger Duty come into play from April 1 and will impact flights departing from the UK

For band B spots, which cover long-haul routes like America, the Maldives and Costa Rica, the APD for economy will rise from £90 to £102. 

Private jets on these routes will be hit with a rise from £647 to £1,097, and higher classes will increase from £126 to £244. 

Flights jetting off to destinations from the UK, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand will see an increase in the rate charge from £94 to £106, Euro News reports. 

Meanwhile the APD on higher classes will rise from £224 to £253. As for private jets, the tax is set to increase by nearly 50 per cent – from £673 to £1,141.

The boss of the Business Travel Association has raised concerns over the impact the rise could have on business travellers. 

Clive Wratten described the increase in APD as a ‘major barrier to global connectivity’ and claimed the ‘UK already has the highest air departure tax in the world’.

He added: ‘Despite generating £4.195bn in 2024/25, the tax continues to rise across both domestic and international routes, increasing by 13% and not aligned with inflation.

‘These increases are a hidden squeeze on travellers that often goes undiscussed – especially when APD doesn’t even offset the ever-rising and highly controversial airport drop-off fees.’

Business Travel Association CEO Clive Wratten has raised concerns over the impact the rise could have on business travellers

The BTA boss described the APD as an ‘upfront hurdle’ for business travellers, including people serving ‘vital frontline roles’. 

He said: ‘Call it what it is: a tax on the connectivity that keeps our economy moving.’

The levy is set to increase by a maximum of 15 per cent per person in April, with further plans to raise APD in April 2027. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts the latest increase to generate a staggering £5.2 billion for the exchequer by 2027, compared to £4.6 billion this year.

By the end of March 2028, OBR forecasts expect the newly-increased tax to generate £5.6 billion.

However, Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association, previously blasted the move as a ‘short-sighted cash-grab’.