Britain's biggest airlines unite to lobby against air passenger duty

Heads of British Airways, Ryanair, easyjet and Virgin Atlantic launch co-operative media campaign to oppose 'tax on passengers'The bosses of four of the biggest airlines in the UK have put their various feuds on hold to demand that the government scrap the tax that all passengers must pay on flights departing from the UK.The chief executives of British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair and easyJet claimed on Thursday that air passenger duty (APD) is "incredibly damaging" to the economy.In an unprecedented demonstration of unity in the fiercely competitive aviation industry, the bosses joined together to claim that the tax, which generates £2.2bn a year for the Treasury, is a drain on the economy because it puts tourists off visiting the UK and discourages businesses from investing in Britain."It is net negative for the UK economy. It's destroying jobs, it's destroying the opportunity for job creation, it's discouraging tourism and it's discouraging business investment in the UK," said