Air Passenger Duty (APD)
Air Passenger Duty is a tax the UK government charges on passengers departing from UK airports. It is banded by how far you fly and by cabin class, so premium seats and long-haul trips carry more. It is a genuine tax collected through the fare — not an airline surcharge — though similar departure taxes exist in other countries under different names.
Where it applies
How to avoid or shrink it
- You cannot avoid a statutory departure tax on a qualifying flight — but knowing it exists prevents a nasty surprise.
- Because it is banded by cabin, a premium seat carries more duty as well as a higher fare.
- Connecting itineraries and departure country can change which taxes apply — the fare breakdown shows them.
This is a real tax, not a hidden airline fee. We include it here because it is a large, often-overlooked part of a UK fare — and it is always in the fare breakdown if you look.
Run a specific booking through the calculator and this fee is counted — sourced, dated and confidence-graded alongside everything else the headline price leaves out.
Back to the full fee glossary, or browse the Hidden-Fee Index.