16 October 2010
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has reported that the number of domestic flights in Britain has fallen by 25% in the last five years, according to the latest figures. Fewer than 9.6 million passengers boarded a domestic service in the first six months of 2010, compared with more than 12.6 million during the first half of 2005.
The figures also confirm a decrease in the number of domestic routes available in Britain, a trend attributed to the recession and increases in Air Passenger Duty (APD) per person per domestic flight from £5 in 2006 to £12 from 1 November 2010. This latest increase in APD should push the annual revenue raised from aviation tax in Britain to £2.9 billion.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8065918/Domestic-flights-cut-by-a-quarter.html