APD Is Going Up—Here’s the New Math for UK‑Departing Private Flights

A blunt, transparent breakdown of what you’ll pay from April 2025 (and the bigger jump in 2026).

Intro:
The UK is ratcheting up APD again, with particularly steep increases for private jet categories. Before you book a London‑outbound flight, know the exact impact and what (lawful) levers you can still pull.

The New Rates, Plain English

• 2025–26 bands and higher‑rate categories for private aviation.

• 2026–27 step‑up (incl. the widely cited ~50% higher‑rate increase).

What This Adds to Typical Missions

• London–Nice, London–NYC, London–Dubai: per‑pax APD examples by aircraft class.

• Empty legs, ferry flights, under‑60‑minute exemptions—what applies, what doesn’t.

Who Actually Pays and When

• Contracting carrier vs. broker vs. principal; point of collection.

• Handling refunds on no‑shows and cancellations.

Tactics That Still Work (No Nonsense)

• Right‑sizing the aircraft to band thresholds.

• Using regional airports when operationally sensible.

• Aligning multi‑leg itineraries to minimize duplicated APD exposure.

FAQs

• Are diplomatic/medical flights exempt?

• Does APD apply to positioning legs?

• How do we evidence exemptions?

We’ll quote you apples‑to‑apples pricing with APD broken out—and structure routings to keep it fair.