Attention all travellers! Flying out of the United Kingdom is about to become a pricier affair, especially if you’re headed to South Africa. Starting April 1st, departing passengers can expect a substantial increase in departure taxes, particularly affecting those bound for the sunny shores of South Africa.
The new tax rate will hit adult economy-class passengers with a hefty R2,200 bill per person. To put that into perspective, it’s almost the cost of a round-trip ticket between Johannesburg and Cape Town during the off-peak season.
The UK’s Air Passenger Duty (APD), introduced in 1994, was originally aimed at raising revenue. While it’s been argued to have environmental benefits by discouraging air travel, its actual impact on travel behavior remains unclear.
The APD is calculated based on the distance of the flight and the class of travel, with different rates for different categories. Currently, passengers flying to South Africa pay a reduced rate of £91 (R2,175) in economy class and £200 (R4,780) in higher classes. However, starting April 1st, these rates will increase, with economy class passengers paying £92 (R2,200) and higher classes paying £202 (R4,830).
The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced an additional increase effective April 1st, 2025, particularly affecting premium cabin passengers on long-haul flights, like those to South Africa.
While the government claims the APD has environmental benefits, it’s clear that revenue generation is a significant driver. Whether these tax hikes will deter travellers remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: flying out of the UK is about to become a more expensive affair.
Main image: IOL
