UK Chancellor George Osborne confirmed in his annual Autumn Statement this week that Air Passenger Duty (APD) would increase yet again.

The decision has already been slammed by the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR UK), which described the move as “unsurprising and self destructive” for the British economy.

Now the Government faces pressure from ABTA, which has teamed up with BAR UK, to launch an independent review into the economic impact of APD.

Another tsunami warning for Japan after major earthquake shakes Tokyo

North East Japan has been issued with another tsunami warning – 18 months after the tragic effects of the earthquake and subsequent tidal wave which devastated the Fukushima nuclear plant near Tokyo.

The alert follows an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale which hit the coast this week and whose effects were felt in the busy capital, where buildings shook violently.

Although no injuries or deaths have been reported, residents are being urged not to wait and to evacuate before disaster strikes.

Heavy snow disrupts European flights

A number of European flights have been affected by heavy snow – causing delays and cancellations across its northern and central belts.

Airline KLM has cancelled all of its European flights, which total nearly 300, while easyJet and Ryanair have issued proactive warnings regarding flights to and from Northern France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Passengers are being advised to keep abreast of local weather reports, allow extra time for travelling and to check the status of their flight at every given opportunity.

Ryanair announces new routes from Scotland

Budget airline Ryanair has, this week, announced eight new routes to Europe from Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick.

New Edinburgh routes will be to Bologna, Beziers, Cagliari, Corfu, Katowice and Santander while flights to Rzeszow and Warsaw will be introduced from Glasgow.

Ryanair is also increasing the frequency of flights across five of its existing routes from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Edinburgh Airport marks a change in ownership with new branding

Edinburgh Airport has announced plans to roll out a new company brand based on its vision to become the place known as ‘where Scotland meets the world’.

Chairman John Elvidge described it as “an exciting new chapter in the airport’s history, changing the dynamics of Scottish aviation forever”.

Alongside Gordon Dewar, the chairman also unveiled the airport’s new logo – a modern interpretation of its iconic control tower with “an historic twist”.

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But how will this affect the travel industry?

According to industry insiders, the sector has already experienced slowed business and leisure travel planning as a direct result of uncertainty over future tax rises.

Proactive firms have been cutting back on business travel in fear of said higher taxes and ahead of potential spending cuts in the New Year.

The Global Business Travel Association has predicted that companies will spend around £12 billion less on business travel in 2014 if the mooted tax hikes and spending cuts go ahead.

And even Expedia, the world’s largest travel agency, has reported that regular client bookings, which normally grow in tandem with the overall economy, have been down lately.

ABTA also reckons that a further increase in Air Passenger Duty will be revealed following today’s statement – which would signal another major blow for the travel industry.

In a recent survey, it revealed that two thirds of those interviewed think Air Passenger Duty is already too high and that half of the UK public believe the tax puts the economy at a disadvantage.

In an interview with Travelmole, Chief Executive Mark Tanzer, who met with Treasury Minister Sajid Javid earlier this week, said: “Despite the clear calls from the public and businesses, the Government is still refusing to commission an independent review into Air Passenger Duty. It’s evident that the Treasury is still to be convinced of the merits of this approach.”

But all is not lost in this respect, according to Tanzer, who believes that company and consumer pressure is the answer.

He added: “With another rise in Air Passenger Duty expected to be announced, it’s vital that businesses and consumers continue to maintain pressure on the Government to freeze Air Passenger Duty until it has conducted a proper independent analysis on the impacts of this on the economy.”

We’d love to know your thoughts here at MyTravelMoney.co.uk. Do you agree with Air Passenger Duty, for example? And what else can the travel industry do to ensure its survival during the European financial crisis?

Share your opinions with us over at Twitter.

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