Travellers from the Province could bear the brunt of Gordon Brown's latest hike in Airport Passenger duty.

The seven per cent increase, due to come into force this month, will mean that travellers from Northern Ireland, particularity those getting essential connecting flights abroad could potentially end up paying three lots of tax - once on the flight from Northern Ireland, again on the outbound European or long-haul flight, and yet again on the homebound connecting flight back to Northern Ireland.

South Antrim MLA, David Burnside said that with a lot more flights now out of Belfast - especially linking flights and business flights - this is clearly an 'extra charge' and 'yet another excuse' for adding further costs to the price of a ticket.

"What you see is really only a proportion of what you have to pay as is the case with excise duty paid on fuel.

"When fuel prices rise, ticket prices go up, but when fuel prices come down, ticket prices tend to stay the same - we rarely see additional costs being reduced."

Nigel Turner, Chief Executive of Belfast City to Heathrow operator bmi branded the increase as 'very sad' for Northern Ireland: "I have no doubt lifeline communities like Northern Ireland will suffer through this tax hike, but I suppose we will have to live with it".

Short-haul economy class travellers will face a rise in APD from £5 to £10, but it is Business Class travellers that will feel the effects of the hike the most with an increase of £10. On long-haul flights it will rise to £40 for economy class and will double in Business Class to £80.

Travellers from Scotland will also have to shoulder a heavier burden of the new tax because of their remoteness.

Sandy MacPherson President of the Scottish Passenger Agents Association said: "While we understand fully that this tax is imposed by the UK Government, once again Scottish travellers will be penalised more than their counterparts in the South, and bear the brunt of this inequity".

"For families travelling on holiday... this represents a huge increase in costs, which will not even be allocated to 'green' initiatives, but go straight to the Exchequer".

The APD or 'Green Tax' is part of the Government's latest initiative to cut carbon emissions but has been branded by British Airways as: "a blunt instrument... without any benefit to the environment whatsoever".

Ryanair has called on Gordon Brown to withdraw the £10 APD on travel branding it "highway robbery" and have gone as far as offering one million free flights to passengers who write to complain to Gordon Brown.

By Paul Wilson