Airlines U.K. said it wants the British government to suspend the country's air passenger duty for six months once the coronavirus crisis is over as a way to help air travel rebound. It also wants the government to waive other fees airlines generally pay for the remainder of the year, the group told Law360.
The worldwide spread of the new coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19, has forced countries to enact wide-ranging restrictions on movement and travel, which are largely unprecedented in peacetime. These restrictions have caused air travel to come to an almost complete standstill in a matter of weeks, and airlines are asking governments to step in to save them.
Along with giving aid to individual carriers, the group asked the government to work with airlines on "policy actions that could be taken now which could also have a considerable impact."
Figures provided by the group said the airline sector pays "millions of pounds" in air traffic charges and paid nearly £4 billion ($4.9 billion) in air passenger duties last year.
Airlines U.K.'s request follows a similar request by a European aviation group last week.
The U.K. finance ministry didn't have an immediate response to a request for comment.
--Editing by Neil Cohen.
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