UK coronavirus live: Air fares from Heathrow Airport to rise thanks to ‘pandemic tax’
An additional tax has been added to outbound flights from Heathrow airport, adding pressure on families who want to travel abroad after a year of restrictions.
The airport will charge an extra £8.90 - also known as United Kingdom Exceptional Regulatory Charge - to all outgoing flights from April, increasing the fees it already charges which include baggage handling, water, electricity and other services.
This means a family of five booking a summer holiday with British Airways would pay an extra £44.50 for using the London airport.
The stealth tax, which must be passed by airlines to Heathrow, is an attempt to recover from the airport’s financial loss last year when a decrease in travel and passenger numbers left the airport with losses of £2 billion.
