British government raising taxes on airline tickets under auspices of environmentalism; real reason is to pay for bailout of banks

(Mail Online) -- Flight taxes are being raised to help bail out the banks, Alistair Darling admitted yesterday. In an extraordinary intervention, the Chancellor said the higher air passenger duty being introduced tomorrow was needed to plug gaps in the national finances. He made no attempt to justify the move - which will add £340 to the ticket for a family of four flying long haul - on environmental grounds, the official reason for the tax. Airlines warned yesterday that the tax would cost thousands of jobs and do nothing to combat global warming.

Addressing journalists in Newcastle, home of the failed bank Northern Rock, Mr Darling said: 'I am quite blunt about it, we need to raise money to pay for some of the things we have done"...

Michelle Di Leo, director of the aviation lobbying group Flying Matters, said Mr Darling had 'let the cat out of the bag on this flying stealth tax'. She added: 'Just when the economy needs all the help it can get, he is imposing a tax which undermines job creation in the tourism sector, prices ordinary families out of flying and all for absolutely no environmental benefit...Cont'd...LINK