26 November 2025
The Government’s latest Budget piles further pressure on the UK aviation industry, with higher taxes on passengers and no support for pilot training, according to the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) .
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that Air Passenger Duty (APD) will rise in line with inflation from April 2027. BALPA said the move will hit leisure travellers hardest and further increase the cost of flying for families and holidaymakers .
At the same time, the Budget made no provision to address what the union describes as a growing pilot training affordability crisis. Training to become an airline pilot in the UK now typically costs more than £100,000, a level BALPA says is putting the profession out of reach for many potential candidates.
The union, which represents more than 10,000 UK airline pilots, warned earlier this week that the lack of accessible funding routes for trainees could lead to a future shortfall of UK-trained pilots. That gap may become more acute if the Government’s plans for aviation expansion progress, including a potential third runway at Heathrow.
BALPA Director for Strategy and Reform, Alice Sorby, said the Chancellor had “missed an opportunity” to support the next generation of pilots, warning that too many capable candidates are abandoning their ambitions due to the financial barrier to entry.
If Heathrow expansion goes ahead, the airport is forecast to handle an additional 276,000 flights each year. BALPA argues that, without action now, airlines will increasingly be forced to rely on pilots trained outside the UK to crew those services .
The Treasury has yet to respond to BALPA’s concerns.
