Flights heading to popular long-haul holiday hotspots including the United States, the Caribbean, Dubai and India will be hit with a new £244 charge from April. Air Passenger Duty (APD) rates are due to increase next month which is likely to have a knock-on effect for air fares, resulting in more expensive ticket prices for passengers. APD is a tax paid by airline operators to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for passengers departing from UK airports, with the rates varying depending on the length of flights and the class of travel.

It applies to passengers aged 16 or over travelling on both domestic and international flights and was first introduced in 1994 to offset the environmental impact of air travel. While the tax is paid by airline operators, ticket prices usually include a charge to cover this cost and airlines then pass the fee to HMRC, so any hike to APD typically means more expensive air fares for UK passengers.

HMRC has confirmed the new APD rates from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, and depending on where you’re travelling to and what class you’re travelling in, the rates vary from just £8 up to a whopping £1,141 per person.

Economy passengers pay a lower APD rate, with business and first class passengers incurring higher charges, but the fee varies based on where you’re flying.

The flight taxes are divided into four bands, with the cheapest being domestic flights and those that fall into Band A, but for those planning a long-haul flight of more than 2,001 miles, the charges start to get much more expensive, which means higher costs to travel to the likes of the USA, Canada, the Caribbean, United Arab Emirates and India, among other destinations.

Band B covers flights between 2,001 to 5,500 miles and for economy passengers travelling to destinations in this category, rates will go up from £216 to £244 from April, while those in higher classes will pay £1,097 instead of £647.

On the cheaper end, domestic flight charges for economy class are rising from £14 to £16 from April, while business class rates will go up from £84 to £142.

Band A covers flights from zero to 2,000 miles, which would include all of Europe and the majority of North Africa, so travel to Spain, France, Portugal and Greece, among other popular European hotspots, would fall into this category.

Economy passengers travelling to Band A destinations will be hit with a £28 charge from April 1 – an increase of £4 from the current £32 fee – while those flying business, first or premium economy will see rates go up from £84 to £142.

The most expensive flights fall into Band C, which applies to destinations over 5,500 miles from the UK, such as Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Thailand. From April, economy rates in this category are rising from £224 to £253, while premium rates are going up from £674 to £1,141.

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The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts the latest increase will generate £5.2 billion for the exchequer by 2027, compared to £4.6 billion this year.

Here is a full breakdown of the new APD rates from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, for flights in each band:

Band A (flights from 0 to 2,000 miles)

Band B (flights from 2,001 to 5,500 miles)

Band C (flights more than 5,500 miles)