A leading climate policy expert has warned that increased flight taxes could prevent many British families from affording holidays abroad.
Harry Wilkinson, Head of Policy at the Global Warming Policy Forum, highlighted that a family of four travelling to the United States will face £400 in Air Passenger Duty alone from April 2026, before ticket costs.
Speaking to GB News, Wilkinson said: “This is very unfortunate news for people wanting to travel around the world on holiday.
“Already a family of four traveling to the United States beyond April of next year are paying £400 just on Air Passenger duty. That’s before they’ve paid any of the tickets itself.
Harry Wilkinson slammed the flight tax as “depressing and sad”
GB News
“So the tax on flying is already exceptionally high. Of course, the people that will be hurt most by this will be those people on the borderline who maybe could hope to afford to fly if the price was low enough, but maybe this will push it over the edge.
“So this is something that particularly penalises poorer people. Of course, it’s such a depressing and sad way to try and get emissions down.
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“It all stems from this carbon budgets as you were talking about Chris Stark, who used to work for the Committee on Climate Change, who published these carbon budgets now works with Ed Miliband in his departments.
“Their bureaucratic worldview is that you can put everything on a spreadsheet. And of course, it’s a legally binding target. They view this as simply some emissions and unless we tax it, there’s a hole in our plans.
“And so we’re going to have to introduce the tax. They’re not thinking about ambitious ways to get flying greener and cheaper.”
The warnings come ahead of crucial recommendations from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), due to be presented to the Secretary of State on February 26.
A source close to the Energy Security and Net Zero committee revealed the Government could consider introducing strict lifestyle changes.
The proposed measures may include increased taxes for British holidaymakers as part of efforts to meet legally binding five-year targets.
The source expressed doubt over CCC chair Emma Pinchbeck’s assurance that people won’t need to change their lives radically, suggesting new lifestyle restrictions could be implemented.
Former Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps has criticised the approach to emissions reduction, targeting Labour’s stance on air travel.
The flight tax could hit Brits looking to go on holiday in the summer
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“Emma Pinchbeck says the public won’t have to radically change their lives-yet Ed Miliband’s answer to everything is bans, restrictions, and higher taxes,” Shapps said.
He argued that “taxing people off planes is just another example of Labour’s anti-growth mentality.”
“The real solution is technology-sustainable fuels, electric flight, and innovation-not punishing working people for wanting to travel,” Shapps added.
“Labour wants to control your life. We believe in making it better.”
