Scottish government will not cut air departure tax

The Scottish government has decided not to proceed with a long-standing policy to make a 50% reduction in air departure tax at the start of the next financial year.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said the policy was not compatible with the government’s new emissions reduction targets. He said: ‘We have always sought to balance the economic benefits that the policy can bring with the impact on the environment. The Air Departure Tax (Scotland) Bill itself placed a duty on ministers to consider the economic, environmental and social impacts before setting the rates and bands and to keep the matter under review.’