British Airways CEO Criticises High UK Aviation Taxes and Calls for Lower Costs to Boost Tourism

British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said high aviation taxes and limited domestic travel options are keeping millions of tourists away from the UK and slowing economic growth. Doyle spoke to reporters at the IATA annual meeting in Rio. He said the UK had some of the highest aviation taxes in the world and was falling behind Japan, France and Germany in attracting inbound visitors.

Air passenger duty rose 15% in April. The new rates are £8 per passenger on domestic flights, £15 for European departures, and up to £253 in premium economy on long-haul routes. The government has set a target of 50 million international visitors by 2030, up from about 40 million now.

Doyle said the UK would miss that goal unless affordability improved. “Unless we address the affordability issue we’re not going to get there,” he said. “If you look at France and Spain, they’ve absolutely shot past us.

Doyle said aviation taxes were one factor. He also cited fragmented rail networks, the lack of rail passes, and the absence of tourist curation that spreads visitors beyond London and Edinburgh. “For a family of five coming into the country and travelling, air passenger duty is a huge penalty compared to what you pay in Europe,” he said.

Doyle said the government’s support for a third runway at Heathrow could deter airline investment if costs were passed on through higher charges. The airport’s preferred £33bn scheme is opposed by BA and other carriers, which have called for a cheaper alternative.

“There’s an ambition on infrastructure expansion in Heathrow, but if the cost is too high, the other side of that growth, which is airlines coming in with planes and investing their capital into the sector, that may not come,” he said.