HC Deb 06 July 1994 vol 246 c212W
Mr. Burns

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rate of air passenger duty will apply to flights to Basle and Geneva airports.

Sir John Cope

Both Basle and Geneva airports are in the unusual position of straddling Switzerland and France and allowing passengers to choose into which country to exit the airport. It would therefore be impossible to charge the higher £10 duty rate, as there is no distinction on a passenger's ticket to indicate whether he intends to enter Switzerland or France, and in any case, the extra £5 would be relatively easy to avoid by leaving the airport through a different exit and crossing a land frontier into Switzerland.

It has therefore been agreed that flights to Basle and Geneva may exceptionally be treated as subject to the lower £5 duty rate.