Airport Taxes

When buying your airline ticket, it is important to remember that this will include a number of taxes, and there may also be additional taxes to pay at the airport itself. These taxes are levied by the airport and airline to cover some of their running costs. Airport taxes come in various shapes and sizes: there are taxes for airport facilities, passenger safety and security, insurance surcharge, fuel surcharge and departure taxes.

Passenger Service Charge

This tax is levied by the airport and paid by the carrier for the use of the airport's facilities. It is charged to the customer at the time of ticket purchase. The Passenger Service Charge varies from airport to airport but typical charges are:

• Gatwick - £7.60 (for international flights)
• Heathrow - £13.00 (for international flights)

In some countries, this charge is known as the Airport Improvement Fee; for example, any passenger flying out of Calgary International airport will have a $20 AIF on their ticket.

In-Transit Tax

Passengers in transit who do not disembark from the plane and children under the age of two are usually not charged a passenger service charge. However, passengers who leave the plane may be charged an in-transit tax, depending on the length of their stay and the rules governing that particular airport. For example, if you are in transit via Sao Paulo and you leave the terminal - even just to have a cigarette outside - you need to pay a tax on re-entering the terminal to continue with your travels. In-transit taxes vary from airport to airport and usually are levied to cover the costs of running the airport, including salaries for ground staff, baggage handling and on-site facilities (toilets, parking etc).

Air Passenger Duty

This tax is levied by the UK Government, and collected by the carrier or agent issuing the ticket and charged to the customer at the time of ticket purchase. Air Passenger Duty was controversially doubled from February 1, 2007.

• Economy flights within the European Economic Area (EEA): £10
• Cub and first class fares for destinations in the EEA: £20
• Economy flights to all other destinations: £40
• Club and first class fares for all other destinations: £80
• All flights from the Scottish Highlands and Islands: exempt from duty
• All other UK domestic flights are subject to a £5 charge on each leg of the flight (the duty for a UK domestic return flight is therefore £10)

Airport Departure Tax (ADT)

Some airports charge a separate departure tax (known as a non-ticketable tax), which is only payable at the specific airport and cannot be collected in advance on the passenger's behalf. For example, passengers flying out of New Zealand (except from Auckland, where the departure tax is included in the ticket price) must pay a NZ$25 at the BNZ (Bank of New Zealand) office at the airport after they check in. Many African airports also function in this manner, including those in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. Other countries that charge non-ticketable departure taxes include: Argentina, Bahamas, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.