Economy flights heading to popular long-haul holiday destinations, including the United States, the Caribbean, Dubai and India, will now be hit with a new £102 charge.

Air Passenger Duty rates increased on April 1, and this is likely to have a knock-on effect on air fares, meaning holidaymakers can expect to pay higher ticket prices. APD is a tax paid by airline operators to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for passengers departing from UK airports, and the rates vary depending on the flight distance and class of travel. The tax was first introduced in 1994 to offset the environmental impact of air travel and applies to passengers aged 16 or over travelling on both domestic and international flights.

While APD 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 increase typically means more expensive air fares for UK passengers.

The new APD rates kicked in on April 1 and apply until March 31, 2027, with costs ranging from £8 to an eye-watering £1,141 per person.

The rates are divided across four different bands which vary based on where you’re travelling to, with longer distance flights incurring higher charges, and the class of travel, which are split across three categories:

• a reduced rate – this applies to the lowest class of travel on a plane, such as economy
• a standard rate – this applies to any other class of travel, such as business or first class, where the seat pitch is more than 40 inches
• a higher rate – this applies to travel in planes of 20 tonnes or more that carry no more than 19 passengers, such as private jets.

Explaining the changes this month, the Chartered Institute of Taxation said: “From April 1, the Government is raising Air Passenger Duty rates by 13-15% across all bands and cabin classes, with an additional 50% increase for private jets.

“This will, for example, increase APD on economy travel to £8 per passenger (up from £7) for domestic flights, £15 (up from £13) for short-haul international flights, £102 (up from £90) for medium-haul flights and £106 (up from £94) for long-haul flights. The long-haul rate for private jets rises to £1,141 (up from £673).

“APD rates are set more than a year in advance using forecast RPI inflation. In recent years, actual inflation has turned out to be significantly higher than forecast, so APD has fallen in real terms.

“The April 2026 changes therefore uprate rates by forecast inflation and apply an additional catch‑up increase to reflect past inflation, as well as reflecting the government’s decision to tax users of private jets more highly.”

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, with domestic flights and those that fall into Band A being the cheapest.

But for those planning a long-haul flight of more than 2,001 miles, the charges become much more expensive, which means higher costs to travel to the likes of the USA, the Caribbean, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and India, among other destinations.

Band B covers flights between 2,001 and 5,500 miles, and for economy passengers travelling to destinations in this category, rates have gone up from £90 to £102 from April, while those travelling in business or first class now face a charge of £244, up from £216.

On the cheaper end, economy passengers travelling to Band A destinations, such as Spain, France and Portugal, now face a £15 charge as of April 1, up from £13, while costs for flying business, first or premium economy are now set at £32, up from £28.

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. As of April 1, economy rates in this category now cost £106, up from £94, while premium rates cost £253, up from £224.

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.

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

• Reduced rate – £8
• Standard rate – £16
• Higher rate – £142

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

• Reduced rate – £15
• Standard rate – £32
• Higher rate – £142

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

• Reduced rate – £102
• Standard rate – £244
• Higher rate – £1,097

Band C (flights more than 5,500 miles)

• Reduced rate – £106
• Standard rate – £253
• Higher rate – £1,141