AIRLINES have welcomed a campaign to scrap an air passenger tax which they claim is making UK airports, including Bournemouth, uncompetitive.

Ryanair has already announced it will cease operations from Bournemouth Airport for three months this winter, blaming its decision on the Air Passenger Duty (APD) airport departure tax, which it claims is strangling tourism and damaging Britain’s economy.

Now the low-cost carrier has voiced its support for a campaign organised by airline and airport groups to halt planned rises in APD, which is backed by the Airport Operators Association (AOA), the Board of Airline Representatives and the British Air Transport Association.

Bournemouth-based Bath Travel has also lent its support to the campaign, claiming APD, which was increased last November and is set to rise again next year, damages tourism in Dorset and costs the Government more money than it raises. Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara, said: “APD has been strangling British tourism since it was introduced and with every increase – and for every day it remains in place it ensures far fewer tourists for the UK. “Airports like Bournemouth are made uncompetitive because of these high taxes and we continue to call on the government to scrap this tax.

“Until action is taken it will prevent airports like Bournemouth from reaching their full potential. “This unavoidable tax is reducing the number of UK citizens travelling, but more significantly for the UK economy it is discouraging inward tourism and has resulted in tourism numbers declining every year, to the benefit of other more competitive European countries.”

Joint director of Bath Travel Stephen Bath said: “The travel industry supports the campaign to reduce APD, which is far too high.

“The last round of rises was presented as a green tax, which would be used for green projects, but in reality it just goes into the government’s vast pot of money.

“More enlightened countries have scrapped the APD because of the damage it does to incoming tourism.” AOA chief executive Darren Caplan said: “Our message to the chancellor is that enough is enough.

“APD has already gone up by 325 per cent on long-haul flights and 140 per cent on short-haul flights in the last five years.”