© Reuters/Philip BrownFILE PHOTO: Plane approaching Leeds Bradford airport passes in front of the sun in Leeds
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain wants to cut air passenger duty on internal flights and will launch a consultation this spring, the government said on Wednesday as the aviation industry suffers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The duty is charged per passenger flying from a British airport to both domestic and international destinations in bands which take account of distance and class of travel.
The consultation will consider options such as the reintroduction of a return leg exemption, creating a new lower domestic level and increasing the number of international distance bands, the transport ministry said in a release.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's administration has promised to improve rail, road, sea and air connections to boost parts of the country that feel left behind.
"We will harness the incredible power of infrastructure to level up parts of our country that have too long been left off the transport map," said Johnson. "I also want to cut passenger duty on domestic flights so we can support connectivity across the country."
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Peter Graff)