New air tax 'won't put off most passengers'

A new survey has suggested that the recent increase in air passenger duty will fail to deter most Britons from jetting off abroad.

The study by Prudential Travel Insurance revealed that 75 per cent of travellers do not intend to change their travel arrangements after the tax came into force last week.

A further 26 per cent of respondents planning to fly in the next year also said that the charge will not affect their holidays.

However, 11 per cent of Britons stated that they are still in favour of reducing their carbon emissions by changing the way they fly.

"We all have a responsibility to protect the environment so it will be interesting to see over the next few years what impact if any the tax will have on the travel industry and whether travellers will become more conscious of the amount of flights they take each year," commented Phil Southgate of Prudential Travel Insurance.

The increase in air tax was announced by the chancellor Gordon Brown in December as a measure to help reduce the UK's carbon footprint.

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