If high fuel prices, chaos in the Middle East and the UK ETA weren't enough now Air Passenger Duty has risen as well, flying to the UK and via London is getting more expensive

As if the following were not enough increasingly expensive fares, fuel surcharge, airport taxes and crazy prices especially during peak periods, from the April 1, 2026 those leaving from the UK also face an increase in the Air Passenger Duty, the British tax on air passengers.

This is not entirely new, as it has been around for years, but the issue is back in the news because London has decided to Raising the rates for the period 2026-2027, explaining that the old increases had not kept pace with inflation.

What is Air Passenger Duty

La Air Passenger Duty, abbreviated as. APD, is a tax applied to flights departing from the United Kingdom. Formally it is paid by airlines and operators, but the British government itself explains in black and white that, in practice, the cost is Normally transferred to the consumer in the ticket price. So yes, although technically the passenger doesn't pay for it directly at the check-in counter, they do pay for it in the end, because it ends up inside the ticket total.

This tax is not the same for everyone: it changes according to course distance, TRAVEL CLASS and, for some cabins, also based on the seat space. In fact, there is a reduced rate for the cheapest class, a standard rate for the upper cabins, and an even higher rate reserved for the larger private jets.

How it really impacts the ticket price

The key point is this: the APD is not a theoretical tax that stays in the companies' budgets, but an item that is usually discharged to the end customer. This means that when you buy a ticket departing from London, Manchester, Edinburgh or any other British airport, part of the price already includes this tax. And when the tax goes up, the cost of the ticket is very likely to go up as well.

The impact is most noticeable on long-haul flights and in premium cabins. For those flying in economy on short routes, the increase is small but still real; for those flying in business class or on intercontinental routes, the effect is much more visible. In other words: if it already often costs more to leave from the UK than to leave from other European countries, from April 1 this difference will be even more pronounced.

When it increases

The new fares went into effect for passengers carried from April 1, 2026  and up to March 31, 2027. The measure had already been announced with theAutumn Budget 2024, precisely to give the industry time to adjust, since many tickets are purchased well in advance. The British government has also made it clear that from the 2027-2028 forward rates will be rounded to the penny and no longer to the pound, so there will be a new revision in subsequent years as well.

The new APD rates as of April 1, 2026

For flights in the Band A, that is, until 2,000 miles from London, the fee is 15 pounds at a reduced rate and of 32 pounds In standard rate. For the Band B, that is, between 2,001 and 5,500 miles, you go up to 102 pounds in economy and 244 pounds In the upper cabins. For the Band C, that is, over 5,500 miles, the APD will come to 106 pounds in economy and 253 pounds In the premium classes. This explains why BA and Virgin award tickets have the highest fees/supplements in the world (or nearly so).

Translated into practical examples, a flight from London to Rome in economy discounts a 15-pound APD, while in business it rises to 32 pounds. On a London-New York, on the other hand, it is 102 pounds in economy and 244 pounds in business. And on even longer routes, such as those to Asia or Oceania, it comes to £106 and £253, respectively. These are figures that do not explain the final price alone, but they do have an impact, especially when added to already steep fuel surcharges and airport taxes.

Who is exempt

There are a few exceptions. I children under the age of 16 are exempt from APD if they travel in the lowest class available, while the children under the age of 2 without an assigned seat do not pay the tax in any class. For everyone else, except in special cases, the tax remains a fixed component of the price when departing from the UK.

In conclusion

Many Italian frequent flyers use the UK as a starting point for long haul itineraries, award tickets, or multi-trip constructions. And this is where APD weighs most heavily: not so much on the low-cost weekend flight, but on intercontinental tickets and especially premium cabins, where it can add tens or hundreds of pounds to the overall cost. At a time when fuel surcharges are not letting up, this is another item that makes Even less convenient to leave from the UK

The gist is simple: the Air Passenger Duty is a British tax on flights departing from the UK, is almost always passed on to the passenger and by the April 1, 2026 Will increase again. We are not talking about a revolution, but another brick pushing up the final price of tickets. And when you add up taxes, surcharges and increasingly unfriendly base fares, the result is. Flying from the UK will cost even more.