INCREASES in departure tax won't slow our growth.
That is the pledge from bosses at Blackpool Airport as it emerged thousands of passengers are being forced to dip into their pockets to stump up extra tax demanded by Gordon Brown.
The chancellor announced in December UK air passenger duty would double on February 1 this year with all passengers due to fly on or after that date forced to pay an extra £5 for short haul flights and £20 for long haul journeys.
The new duty levels are being enforced on all passengers, whether they booked fares before December 8 or not.
But bosses at Blackpool Airport believe passengers on the Fylde will not be put off by the extra charges.
Business development manager, Gareth Kennedy said: "It isn't going to affect our growth.
"At the end of the day people are going to pay the extra £5.
"It isn't a huge amount.
"That isn't to say we like what is happening.
"We don't support the new tax.
"It simply isn't necessary and won't have any impact on the green issues it was intended to solve.
"It is simply an inconvenience for passengers."
Mr Kennedy said the airport was gearing up for confusion over the tax on February 1. He said: "While airlines are trying to contact all the passengers affected, some may not have made their payments.
"We are making sure arrangements are in place to inform passengers of the extra charges and that they can be collected on the day at the airport.
"It is up to the airlines to inform their passengers and to collect
payments."
While some carriers, including British Airways, have decided to absorb the extra taxes on bookings made before December 8, budget airlines, including those flying from Blackpool, are passing on the cost to their customers.
A spokesman for Jet2.com, the largest single airline flying from Blackpool, said: "Due to the UK Government imposed airport departure tax, Jet2.com are in the process of contacting all customers, namely the person whose contact details were provided at the time of booking, to organise collection of this fee in advance of travel.
"If passengers have purchased Jet2.com flights on or after 8 December 2006 for travel after 1 February 2007, the increased tax is included in your fare and no further payment is required.
"If customers have purchased flights on or before December 7 2006, for travel after February 1 2007, the increased tax is not included in your fare and an additional payment is required before departure.
"Our system for collecting the additional tax involves contacting our customers in an order relating to your departure date.
"This will eliminate disruption at check in therefore maintaining our smooth, stress free check in process.
"In the event we cannot contact passengers prior to travel, they will need to pay at check in."
Ryanair, which flies from Blackpool to Girona, Dublin and London Stansted said passengers would not be able to travel if they had not paid the extra fees.
They branded Chancellor Gordon Brown "scrooge" for imposing the extra charge.
Source: Blackpool Gazette
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