Germany’s travel and tourism industry could lose out as the new air passenger departure tax makes flights from German airports more expensive - and two airlines have already cut capacity and services within Germany for next summer.

ABTA is to seek confirmation of the axing of the Aviation Tax Germany introduced on 1 September. The tax, introduced by the German Government is intended to reduce the German deficit and save the German exchequer €80 billion in the period to 2014 by adding 25 Euros to each flight to the UK as well as €8 to tickets to 52 European destinations, €25 to 50 airports in Asia and Africa, and €45 to all other destinations.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government confirmed the tax will be imposed on all flights out of the country from January 1st 2011, including tickets booked from today.

Luke Pollard ABTA Head of Public Affairs said “The introduction of this tax is a seriously regressive step that will impact on UK visitor numbers to Germany and Germans coming to the UK. The German Government has previously stated that this tax would be a temporary measure and abolished in 2012 when the EU’s Emission Trading Scheme [ETS] comes into effect and we will be writing to obtain confirmation that this is still...