There has been a serious controversy surrounding the plans by the government to replace the Air Passenger Duty (APD). Over and above, this issue has taken a new twist when easyJet, the low-cost airline threw its weight behind the government.

Whitehall says that the present system bases charges entirely on the class in which a passenger flies irrespective of whether it is a long-or short haul route. However, he says that this needs to be replaced with a more precise measurement taking into consideration the distance flown by the passenger. Under the present way of calculating, passengers needs to pay £10 to £20 APD in Europe depending on the class in which they travel - economy, business or first class. However, the charges are between £40 and £80 for long-haul services.

The government is of the opinion that the present approach is not fair and it has called for a new system to be introduced which takes into account the take-off weight and distance traveled in the individual flights.

BA spokesperson observed, "The effect of the proposals would be to reduce Heathrow's long-haul network because they would create a financial incentive for customers to fly via continental hubs rather than Heathrow."

Toby Nicol, spokesperson of easyJet airline noted, "Our message to the government is stand up to the siren voices in the industry. For every person who gets an opt-out, a free ride or a subsidy, someone else is paying and it's not going to be our passengers."