Airline CEOs including Ryanair’s Michael O'Leary, easyJet’s Kenton Jarvis, and British Airways’ Luis Gallego are pressuring Labour to cut flying taxes in the upcoming October 28 Budget. They warn that increasing Air Passenger Duty (APD), already at historic levels following a 15% hike earlier this year, will price families out of holidays and hinder economic growth. O'Leary specifically criticizes Andy Burnham’s government as a "typical Labour f***ing tax and spend government" and calls for the abolition of APD and rejection of proposed tourist taxes on hotel stays.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Labour was today urged to 'stop taxing the s*** out of’ holidaymakers and cut flying taxes in this month’s Budget by a string of airline CEOs.
asserted
Labour → urge → CEOs
The bosses of easyJet, British Airways and Ryanair lined up to call on Andy Burnham and his Chancellor to slash Air Passenger Duty (APD) on fares, also known as the ‘holiday tax’.
asserted
bosses → line → tax
They warned taxes on hard-earned family breaks were already at ‘historic levels’ and that the PM's pledge for 'good growth in every postcode’ won't happen if APD is hiked again to balance the books after Labour's welfare spending splurge.
asserted
APD → warn → splurge
They also warned families could be priced out of holidays abroad and took aim at ‘loony’ plans to bring in a new tourist tax on domestic hotel stays.
uncertain
families → warn → stays
It comes after the Mail revealed last month that Labour is raking in record amounts from flying taxes after already hiking APD by an inflation-busting 15 per cent in the 2024 Budget.
asserted
Labour → come → Budget
But there are growing fears Mr Burnham’s Chancellor, John Healey, will look to raid holidaymakers again when he delivers his first Budget on October 28.
asserted
he → be → October
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary, speaking at a roundtable of top aviation CEOs in Brussels today, said he had written to Mr Burnham, whose premiership he branded a ‘typical Labour f***ing tax and spend government’.
asserted
he → speak → premiership
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary branded Andy Burnham's premiership a ‘typical Labour f***ing tax and spend government’
asserted
O'Leary → brand → premiership
There are growing fears Andy Burnham’s Chancellor, John Healey (left), will look to raid holidaymakers again when he delivers his first Budget on October 28
Labour first raided holidaymakers in the 2024 Budget when former Chancellor Rachel Reeves hiked APD by an inflation-busting 15 per cent
He added: ‘You cannot deliver growth to every postcode in the UK if you increase tax on air travel.
asserted
you → be → travel
‘Even more ludicrously, he’s now proposing a double tax for visitors to the UK by allowing the local loony mayors in the UK to put an overnight tax on hotels and overnight accommodation.
asserted
mayors → propose → hotels
‘So this is a typical Labour f***ing tax and spend government.
asserted
this → tax → ?
If he follows the same failed economic policies as the German government, the Austrian government and French, taxing the s*** out of air travel, he’ll see the same economic stagnation those countries are currently struggling with.
asserted
countries → follow → stagnation
'Abolish APD if you’re serious about growth in every postcode and abandon the loony plan to allow local mayors to scam tourists for double taxation on overnight accommodation.'
EasyJet boss Kenton Jarvis said: ‘The Labour government is talking about a cost of living crisis and making sure hard-working families have the right to do what they should.
‘
asserted
they → abolish → right
APD already went up in April and that has made it more expensive and the reality is, unless it’s frozen, we have to pass that onto customers.
asserted
we → go → customers
‘We already have the highest levels of APD.
asserted
We → have → APD
I don’t think you can seriously increase them further.
asserted
you → think → them
It needs to be frozen and ideally a reduction.’
asserted
It → need → ?
Luis Gallego, CEO of International Airlines Group, which owns BA, also backed slashing the levy.
asserted
which → own → levy
Travellers were hit with a record bill of £4.6billion in APD for the year 2025-26, HMRC data show.
asserted
data → hit → year
After Labour's APD hike, which came into force in April this year, families of four travelling in economy class this summer to some destinations faced tax bills on getaways of more than £400 for the first time
EasyJet boss Kenton Jarvis said 'I don’t think you can seriously increase' APD further and that 'it needs to be frozen and ideally a reduction'
Luis Gallego, CEO of International Airlines Group, which owns BA, also backed slashing the APD levy
Meanwhile, in the first quarter of this financial year (2026-27), a record £1.6billion was raked in from the levy.
asserted
1.6billion → come → levy
It comes after former chancellor Rachel Reeves raised APD by an inflation-busting 15 per cent for most fares in her first Budget after Labour won the 2024 election.
asserted
Labour → come → election
It kicked in from April this year and meant families of four travelling in economy class this summer to some destinations faced tax bills of more than £400 for the first time.
asserted
families → kick → time
And the same families travelling to destinations such as Dubai or Florida saw the levy hit nearly £1,000, if travelling in premium economy, as APD rates are higher for non-economy classes.
asserted
rates → travel → classes
In 2016-17, the Government collected just £3billion in APD.
asserted
Government → collect → APD
APD rates are charged according to a three-tier scheme based on the distance being flown.
uncertain
rates → charge → distance
At present, it is £15 per passenger for those flying abroad up to 2,000 miles, which is most European destinations.
asserted
which → fly → those
The levy is charged on flights taking off from a UK airport, meaning it is paid on outbound journeys but not inbound.
asserted
it → charge → journeys
It is not charged for children under 16 if they’re travelling economy class.
asserted
they → charge → 16
The tax is charged to carriers but almost always passed onto fliers, meaning fares increase when it is raised.
asserted
it → charge → fliers
Hospitality bosses have already warned that new powers which ministers are set to hand to regional mayors to introduce a levy on hotel stays could put jobs at risk.
uncertain
ministers → warn → risk
The uncapped levy, dubbed a 'tourist tax', will see visitors staying in cities charged a fee on top of the cost of their stay.
asserted
visitors → dub → stay
While Labour mayors in ten city regions have said they will voluntarily cap it at 5 per cent, Reform UK's two regional mayors and the two Conservative ones have said they won't use the powers.
asserted
they → say → powers
The Treasury was contacted for comment.
asserted
Treasury → contact → comment
The Aporia
