UK holidaymakers jetting off to popular destinations such as Spain, France, Turkey and Greece will be hit with a new £15 charge. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has revealed that air passenger duty will increase from the 2026/27 financial year, leading to more expensive air fares for travellers.
The hike was unveiled in Wednesday’s autumn Budget, which saw Labour ramp up taxes by £40 billion. Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a levy imposed on passengers departing from a UK airport, with rates determined by flight length and travel class.
In the UK, it applies to passengers aged 16 or over travelling on both domestic and international flights and was first introduced in 1994 to counterbalance the environmental impact of air travel. The tax is included in the price of the airline ticket and airlines then pass the fee to the government, so any rise in APD results in pricier air fares for UK tourists.
Ms Reeves confirmed that the looming APD increase will add up to £2 to the cost of an economy ticket for a short-haul flight, while private jet users will face a 50% surge in APD. Currently, for passengers travelling in economy, ADP charges are £7 for a domestic flight, £13 for a short-haul flight, and £88-£92 for a long-haul flight.
But from 2026/27, the rates will climb by £1 for domestic flights, £2 for short-haul flights and £12 for long-haul flights, reports the Express. Under the upcoming tariff shake-up, travellers will be hit with a charge of £8 for domestic flights, a levy of £15 for popular short-haul destinations like Spain, France, and Turkey, while long-haul flyers will face fees between £100 and £104. These hikes are scheduled to kick in from 1 April 2026.
Private jet fliers, who are currently taxed at £78 for domestic or European jaunts and shell out £581 to £607 for lengthier trips, will see their duties skyrocket by 50% in the fiscal year 2026/27. Ms Reeves told Commons: “Air passenger duty has not kept up with inflation in recent years so we are introducing an adjustment, meaning an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight.”
She continued her stance on private air travel, saying: “But I am taking a different approach when it comes to private jets, increasing the rate of air passenger duty by a further 50%. That is equivalent to £450 per passenger for a private jet to, say, California.”
Here’s the full lowdown on the upcoming APD rates as of April 1, 2026, divided into bands:
- For the reduced rate (lowest class of travel) – £8.
- Standard rate (other than the lowest class of travel) – £16.
- Higher rate – £142.
- Reduced rate for the next tier – £15.
- Standard rate – £32.
- Higher rate once again – £142.
- The reduced rate for the longest voyages – £102.
- Standard rate – £244.
- Higher rate topping the charts – £1,097.
- And the reduced rate for the ultimate range – £106.
- Standard rate rises to – £253.
- With the higher rate reaching – £1,141.
A Treasury brief points out that these increments aim to “help correct for below-inflation uprating in recent years”.
Travel experts have labelled the increase in costs as “disappointing” and warned that it could make the UK “less competitive”. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said that further rises in APD will “impact growth, directly hitting the pockets of ordinary travellers and making it harder for UK airlines to put on new routes”.
Additionally, Karen Dee, chief executive of trade body AirportsUK, has stressed that “If the government is serious about realising its aim for the UK to become the fastest growing economy in the G7, then it must recognise and champion the role that airports play in growth and international connectivity, and minimise the cost and regulatory burdens imposed”.
