Manx passengers pay DOUBLE aircraft passenger duty compared to UK

Passengers flying from London Gatwick to the Isle of Man pay double the aircraft passenger duty (APD) as passengers flying from London Gatwick to Belfast, Newquay and Aberdeen. This is despite reported claims from politicians in Tynwald that UK travellers pay the same amount as the Isle of Man.

Manx News reports:

CoMin was told of the risk of easyJet cutting its Belfast route in August, with former airport director Gary Cobb revealing at the Government Conference that the airline had blamed the APG [sic] for this.

Mr Cobb told the conference that the rates of APD charged by the Isle of Man was the key reason the airline had pulled both the Belfast and Bristol routes.

In 2021, the UK’s then-treasurer, Rishi Sunak, announced that APD would be halved on flights within the four nations of the United Kingdom. At the time, the Manx TaxPayers’ Alliance called on the Isle of Man Government to ensure that Manx travellers were not left out.

The Isle of Man’s then-Treasury Minister David Ashford declined to include the island in the improved arrangements. Further, Treasury Minister Allison subsequently claimed that cutting the double tax on travellers to and from the island would be of no real benefit.

The Manx TaxPayers’ Alliance has led the campaign to equalise aircraft passenger duty on flights within these Isles, and welcomes the belated support from other community groups and politicians.