Philip Hammond delivered his Budget 2017 on Wednesday.

Alan Wardle, director of public affairs at Abta, said: “The chancellor’s decision to go ahead with additional increases in air passenger duty is very disappointing.
 
“The post-Brexit world in which we now live is a very different one from where we were 12 months ago.

“Levying sky high taxes on aviation sends out the worst possible message as we look to build our business relationships and connections outside of Europe.
 
“APD also represents an unjustifiably high economic burden on hard pressed family budgets and Abta urges the government to follow the lead of the Scottish government and make a firm commitment to halving this retrogressive tax.”

Chief executive of the airport operators association, Karen Dee, agreed.
 
“Airports provide the necessary infrastructure for the UK’s international connectivity, with aviation the transport mode of choice for most people travelling to and from the UK and for 40% of the UK’s trade.

“Boosting that international connectivity through unlocking new destinations will be crucial to achieve the chancellor’s aim of building the foundations of a stronger, fairer, more global Britain.
 
“That is why it is a missed opportunity for the chancellor not to have cut APD today and instead announcing another rise in line with RPI (retail price index) in 2018-19, on top of the RPI rise from April 2017.

“The UK’s APD is already one of the highest air taxes in the world. With most of our nearest neighbours either charging nothing or less than half of what the UK levies, APD is a tax on the UK’s global competitiveness and connectivity.
 
“Halving APD, as the AOA had called for alongside A Fair Tax on Flying campaign partners, would have brought the UK into line with the next highest APD equivalent in the EU, in Germany.

AOA called on the chancellor to “take action at the first available opportunity”.

Paul Wait, chief executive, GTMC, added: “While it is reassuring to see the chancellor recognises the importance of Britain being a key player in the global economy, there needs to be stronger focus on the attention to detail to achieve this.

“We have long campaigned for reductions to APD which didn’t materialise in today’s budget.

“APD therefore remains a barrier to international business travel, both inbound and outbound, and actively works against businesses tying to grow internationally.”