Virgin criticises air passenger duty

A top official of the Virgin Atlantic airline is accusing the United Kingdom government of discriminating against the Caribbean with its new air passenger duties plans.



As of November one this year, a visitor to Jamaica in economy class, for example, will see a 25 percent increase in air passenger duty and a further increase of 87 percent is planned for November 2010.



Virgin Atlantic\'s Chief Financial Officer Julie Southern said the government is seeking to foster greater travel between the Caribbean and the UK but is making it more difficult to do so.