NORTH-EAST politicians have clashed over the future of Air Passenger Duty.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has called on the Government to slash or even abolish the tax to help regional airports such as Durham Tees Valley.
His calls come after Andy McDonald, shadow transport secretary and Middlesbrough MP, said the freeze on fuel and air duty was “not a sensible approach to transport policy”.
Mr McDonald said it was not Labour's policy to increase fuel duty but he was "alarmed" at suggestions air duty should be abolished, describing it as an "entirely retrograde step in terms of our climate change obligations".
But Mr Houchen accused Mr McDonald of "damaging" the region's interests with such claims.
The passenger tax is levied on airline passengers aged 16 and over who are departing from UK airports.
Mr Houchen said: “Air Passenger Duty kills regional airports.
“The tax is bad for passengers, bad for jobs, stunts growth, and puts our airport at a disadvantage at a time when we need all the support we can get.
“Teesside MPs should be fighting for our publicly-owned airport, not undermining our efforts by flirting with the idea of hiking airport-killing taxes.
“I hope he recognises the damage he is doing and starts using his influential position to stand up for our local airport.
“We have a 10 year rescue plan in place with Stobart Group to secure more flights, create more jobs, and to return our local airport to profit. Hiking air passenger duty would undo all the work we have done so far.
“The passenger tax has been frozen for the past four years, but Government needs to go further and slash or even abolish it to help regional airports like ours."
Simon Clarke, Middlesbrough South and east Cleveland MP, added: “For Labour to campaign to increase the cost of travel for holidaymakers and businesses is a terrible idea at the best of times, but here on Teesside it feels like a final insult to the public, whose airport they gifted to Peel for a pittance to run into the ground.”
Mr McDonald said: "In my speech I spoke about the unfair burden on rail and bus passengers and ensuring we create a system which is fair to all transport users, beneficiaries of transport and tax payers. Labour is not pledging to increase fuel duty.
“I am however alarmed at the suggestion that APD should be abolished. Abolishing APD would be an entirely retrograde step in terms of our climate change obligations. In addition, abolishing the tax would require £3.2bn of cuts to vital public services. This is about serious policy choices and there is no greater priority that protecting our planet.”
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