Travel recruiters have urged the government to scrap passenger tax following the Dutch government’s removal of the tax.

John Tolmie, managing director at AA Appointments, told Recruiter that such a move could stimulate growth in the sector: “The travel industry here has been lobbying for quite some time now for a cut in passenger tax to help stimulate business. The idea is that more people will travel, more airlines will get more business and therefore will need more staff. Unfortunately, though, this request has so far fallen on deaf ears.”

Nina Johnson Bennett, managing director at Management Search Executive, adds: “Holland’s recent cut on passenger tax was an initiative to reduce the costs of Holland’s airports of which Schiphol is the most expensive. The airport has been losing passenger numbers, for a while and whilst the cuts were part of a plan to increase passenger numbers, Schiphol still intends to cut a substantial number of jobs.

“UK airports have different challenges; better service in our airports, greater competition and more efficient security controls would encourage more passengers to use certain airports.

“If, in addition, cuts in passenger taxes were to go ahead it would certainly influence the public’s decision-making on who to fly with and where to fly from; this would boost recruitment in specific regions.”