Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether air passenger duty is applied to flights from Northern Ireland to other parts of the UK; and if so, what plans they have to introduce a rate of 0 per cent.

Flights between regions of the UK are subject to the short haul rate of Air Passenger Duty. Under State aid rules, it is not possible to vary tax rates for domestic flights only.

The government has made a number of reforms to reduce the effect of APD on consumers, including exempting children on economy flights. This could save a family of four £52 on a roundtrip within the UK.

Like all taxes, Air Passenger Duty remains under review. In June we closed a call for evidence on ‘VAT, Air Passenger Duty and tourism in Northern Ireland’. It is the government’s intention to report at Budget.