Business aviation community fights APD extension
British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA), a UK business aviation lobby group, has launched a vigorous campaign to convince the government its plans to extend the existing airline passenger duty (APD) to private aviation are discriminatory and disproportionate (AINonline, 01-May-2011). BBGA has joined forces with the British Helicopter Association (BHA) to demand urgent meetings with UK Treasury officials to draw attention to what they describe as "false assumptions" in the consultation document presented by the government on 22-Mar-2011. The groups believe the APD extension is anti-competitive as it will discourage travellers to use business aircraft. The UK Treasury's consultation document shows that it consulted only with airline interests in drafting the outline proposals. The BBGA will point out that business aviation often flies passengers between destinations that are not served by the airlines, meaning that these people have no viable alternative. The new tax would apply to all aircraft weighing more than 5.7 tonnes.