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Aviation: VAT

Asked by Mr Angus MacDonaldLiberal DemocratTreasuryTabled Answered 23 June 2025UIN 60292

The question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of removing VAT exemptions for private (a) first-class and (b) business-class flights on Aviation Industry’s Carbon Footprint.

Answered by James Murray

The principal tax on the aviation sector is Air Passenger Duty (APD), which is expected to raise £4.7 billion in 2025-26. APD aims to ensure that airlines make a fair contribution to the public finances.

The Government has put in place a wide range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), support for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and development of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) through the International Civil Aviation Organization.

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