Passengers in first class, business class and some premium economy classes now pay £200 tax on long-haul flights to destinations over 5,500 miles from London. That amount will increase to £202 on April 1 this year, but the real increase will take place on April 1, 2025: to £224. In total, the rate will increase by 12 percent.
On mediumhaul and short-haul flights (destination 2,000 to 5,500 miles), premium class fares will increase in two steps from £191 to £216. On European flights from London to Schiphol (under 2,000 miles), there will be only a modest increase from £26 to £28.
There is no difference in the rate whether passengers fly non-stop from the United Kingdom to a destination or first transfer to a foreign airport. For example, anyone flying from London to Jakarta via Schiphol pays an even higher fare. Transfer passengers flying through the United Kingdom are tax exempt.
(Premium) Economy
Premium Economy covers only Premium Economy classes with at least 40 inches of legroom. Most airlines, including KLM, offer 38 inches in that class, meaning that traveling in Premium Economy comes under the cheapest tax rate for Economy Class passengers.
In contrast to the airline tax for premium passengers, the tax for economy passengers rarely increases: a maximum of 2 percent. For flights to European destinations, the fare is £13. For destinations between 2,000 and 5,500 miles, it will increase from 88 to 90 pounds effective April 1, 2025, and from 92 to 94 pounds above.
So British air tax is very different from Dutch tax, which this year is €29 regardless of distance or class of travel. As a result, Dutch nationals and foreigners departing from the Netherlands pay significantly more tax than Britons on European flights in economy class, but much less on long-haul flights and premium travel classes.
Private jets
The United Kingdom also applies a separate tax rate to private jet passengers. That figure will rise to £673 per passenger by 2025.
