Travel operators throw tantrum (part 94)

The Federation of Travel Operators is upset at the Chancellor's decision to return Air Passenger Duty to its pre-2000 budgetary level. It's decided to sue the Government under the Human Rights Act, complaining that the tax is unfair and mean and that the Chancellor is a bully and stole all its candy.

Some agents are so upset, they're refusing to co-operate over the Government's plans to greenwash the carbon offsetting nonsense. The new code only recognises schemes which might actually reduce carbon in some way, shape or form - whereas the airlines would much rather go for the cheaper option of planting a tree somewhere - if, indeed, they can be bothered to do anything at all.

I've got a suggestion: scrap APD, and replace it with duty on aviation fuel at the same level as fuel duty on petrol. That would cut the nonsense flights, remove the need for expansion and see aviation's carbon footprint shrivel away as people stop living lifestyles predicated on being able to jet from Barcelona to Bognor for £1.35.