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UK Domestic Flight Tax Cut Sparks Climate Backlash Before COP26

Controversy grows as the UK halves its domestic flight tax and freezes fuel duty days before COP26, alarming climate advocates.

By Medha deb

Created on Sep 27, 2025

Controversy grows as the UK halves its domestic flight tax and freezes fuel duty days before COP26, alarming climate advocates.

UK Government Slashes Domestic Flight Tax Ahead of COP26

Just days before hosting the high-profile COP26 climate conference, the UK government announced a contentious new budget featuring a 50% cut in Air Passenger Duty (APD) for domestic flights and a prolonged freeze on fuel duty. These decisions, unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, immediately drew fire from environmental groups, climate scientists, and transportation experts who argue the package contradicts both the letter and spirit of the country’s climate commitments.

The Surprising Budget Announcement: What Changed?

In his autumn budget speech to Parliament, Chancellor Sunak revealed that APD on domestic flights would be halved from April 2023—a move Sunak claimed would “bring people together across the UK” and benefit regional airports like Aberdeen, Belfast, Inverness, and Southampton. Nine million passengers are expected to see cost reductions as a result.

Simultaneously, Sunak confirmed the government’s decision to freeze fuel duty for the twelfth consecutive year, maintaining the rate at 58p per litre (plus VAT), which constitutes a significant real-terms tax cut since it does not rise with inflation.

Domestic flyers pay less: APD halved for UK flights from April 2023
Fuel duty stays the same—unchanged since 2011
New top tax band for ‘ultra-longhaul’ flights over 5,500 miles from 2023

Why Lowering Domestic Flight Taxes Is Stirring Controversy

The UK’s new budget measure stands in stark contrast to rising climate urgency. While countries like France move to restrict domestic flights in favor of greener rail alternatives, the UK’s cut is seen as a regressive step.

France is currently considering a ban on domestic flights where a comparable train journey takes less than 2.5 hours as a means to curb aviation emissions.
The UK’s Climate Change Committee had recently called for leadership and policies to disincentivize flying and encourage more sustainable travel options.
Rail industry officials criticized the cut, noting that many UK domestic flights duplicate train routes that already take under five hours, undermining efforts to promote rail.

Expert Voices: Dissonance with Climate Strategy

Molly Scott Cato, a former Green MEP and professor of economics, called the measure “frankly incomprehensible” and said it “flies in the face” of climate logic. Professor Martin Siegert, co-director at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, echoed concerns, stating: “We should not be cutting air passenger duty on domestic flights given that passengers do not pay VAT on tickets, and it sends the wrong message just days before we host COP26.”

Such critics view the government’s action as not only symbolic hypocrisy but a tangible step away from urgently needed decarbonization, especially when the Conference of Parties was about to convene in Glasgow.

Freeze on Fuel Duty: Continuing an Old Trend

The prolongation of the fuel duty freeze also drew considerable attention. Since 2011, the tax has remained flat, representing a real-term decrease and saving the average driver a cumulative total of at least £1,900 over ten years. Despite the UK’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, the government is perceived as lacking a coherent plan for shifting motoring taxation toward climate-friendly outcomes.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) remarked in a recent report that the UK “lacks a serious strategy for motoring taxation.”
Molly Scott Cato stated the move was “encouraging motorists to use dirty carbon fuels when we should be shifting towards public transport, active travel, and electric vehicles.”

Comparing Modes: Planes Versus Trains and Cars

Mode of Transport	CO₂ Emissions (per passenger-km)	Current Tax Policy (UK)	Policy Direction (UK)
Domestic Flights	~133g	APD halved from 2023	Tax reduction
Private Cars (average petrol/diesel)	~120g	Fuel duty frozen	No change
Trains (UK average)	~41g (electric); higher for diesel	Standard VAT, no special subsidies	Underutilized alternative

Note: Estimates for CO₂ emissions per passenger-kilometre are averages and may vary with journey specifics.

Who Benefits (and Who Loses) from the Budget?

Regional airports and passengers using domestic flights stand to benefit from lower air taxes.
Drivers benefit from cheaper petrol and diesel due to the continued fuel duty freeze.
The environment and climate goals could suffer from increased carbon-intensive activities.
Rail and low-carbon transport options face comparative disadvantage.

UK’s Position Versus International Trends

The UK budget choices appear increasingly out of step with global moves toward decarbonizing transport. Many countries, especially within the European Union, are elevating taxes and creating restrictions around flying, while pouring more investment into reliable, high-speed rail as a climate solution.

France: Targeting bans on short-haul domestic flights with rail alternative under 2.5 hours.
Germany: Increased taxes on domestic flight tickets, making the costlier than rail for most short trips.
EU Green Deal: Envisions a sharp reduction of intra-European flight emissions, with a modal shift to trains as a policy target.

Symbolism and Substance: Pre-COP26 Reactions

Environmentalists, climate experts, and even railway industry leaders described the timing and substance of the UK announcement as a setback for international credibility.

“Despite the Chancellor’s window-dressing, his plans will simply prolong the UK’s dependency on fossil fuels and makes it far harder to seize the substantial job and export opportunities that climate leadership would bring.” — Mike Childs, Friends of the Earth

With extreme weather intensifying worldwide—from wildfires in Greece to deadly floods in the UK and hurricanes in the US—the government has been accused of hypocrisy. Critics highlight how the cut to flying taxes immediately precedes the global UN climate summit meant to raise the world’s ambition against climate disaster.

Assessing the Climate Impact of the Budget

Facts About UK Transport Emissions

In 2019, aviation (domestic and international) represented around 8% of UK transport CO₂ emissions.
Projections show aviation could become the largest contributor to UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 if unaddressed.
Press Association and Bloomberg note that Treasury claims the new structure will be “carbon neutral overall” by balancing reduced levies on domestic flights with increased ones for long-haul flights, but campaigners dispute this analysis.

Critiques from the Rail Industry and Environmental Groups

The Rail Delivery Group stated that “If the government is serious about the environment, it makes little sense to cut air passenger duty on routes where a journey in Britain can already be made by train in under five hours.”
Green campaigners highlighted an absence of major new green investment or commitments in the budget; nearly all measures were re-announcements of existing pledges.

Government Rationale

Chancellor Sunak argued that most aviation emissions come from international (not domestic) flights, thus downplaying the domestic APD cut.
The new budget introduces a higher “ultra-longhaul” levy for flight journeys over 5,500 miles, designed so that “those who fly furthest will pay the most.”
Less than 5% of passengers are expected to pay this higher rate.

Public Perceptions and Political Fallout

Public reaction featured a wave of criticism on social media, with many highlighting the contradiction between hosting COP26 and making decisions that incentivize higher emissions. Even some government MPs and parliamentary research reports acknowledged the tension between economic, social, and environmental goals.

The government was also simultaneously facing criticism over failure to impose tough rules on water companies polluting UK rivers, intensifying accusations of “green hypocrisy.”

Looking Forward: Will the UK’s Climate Strategy Suffer?

The UK government’s recent choices speak to a larger debate between short-term economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term environmental strategy. Environmentalists warn that without aggressive new policies and investments in low-carbon transport, the country risks missing its legally binding net-zero commitments, further endangering the planet’s climate outlook.

As COP26 convenes world leaders in Glasgow to accelerate climate ambition in accordance with the Paris Agreement, the UK’s leadership—and its willingness to ‘walk the talk’—is being scrutinized more closely than ever.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When will the reduced domestic Air Passenger Duty (APD) take effect?

A: The 50% reduction in APD for UK domestic flights is set to take effect from April 2023.

Q: How much has fuel duty been cut in real terms?

A: Though the nominal fuel duty rate has been “frozen” at 58p per litre since 2011, inflation means it represents a real-terms cut of about 20% over that period, saving drivers nearly £1,900 over ten years.

Q: What are environmentalists’ main concerns about the tax changes?

A: Environmentalists argue that these policies will increase carbon emissions by making driving and short flights cheaper, undermining efforts to shift people to greener options like trains or electric vehicles and damaging the UK’s reputation as a climate leader.

Q: How do other European countries treat domestic flights?

A: Countries like France are working to ban domestic flights where an equivalent rail journey would take under 2.5 hours, and Germany has raised taxes on domestic air travel, trying to steer passengers to the lower-carbon rail network.

Q: What new tax did the government introduce for air travel?

A: The UK budget introduced a new ‘ultra-longhaul’ band for flights over 5,500 miles, with an economy APD rate of £91, targeting the largest emitters by flight distance.

Key Takeaways

The UK halved the air passenger duty on domestic flights, effective April 2023, and continues to freeze fuel duty.
Experts, campaigners, and European peers argue these policies harm climate progress and set back the UK’s credibility during critical climate talks.
The government insists most aviation emissions are from international flights and points to a new higher levy on ultra-longhaul journeys as evidence of climate sensitivity.
Rail and green groups highlight lost opportunities to invest in and incentivize low-carbon transport.
The controversy underscores the broader challenge of aligning short-term economic aims with the urgent need for climate action as the world faces intensifying climate threats.

References

Author

medha deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

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