Starting April 2nd 2007, passengers flying from Norwich Airport have to pay an additional "Airport Development Fund" (ADP) tax aimed at funding part of the airport's £18m expansion plans.

The tax will be £3 per flight per passenger and passengers departing who refuse to pay will not able allowed to fly. Children between 2 and 15 will be charged £1 and children under 2 will be free.

Flybe, the cheap flight airline, has demanded talks with Norwich Airport to protest about the plans.

First Choice holidays has written a letter of complaint to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and are concerned that they could be on the receiving end of compensation claims for passengers who don't pay the tax, and get refused to fly.

A spokeman from the company said [quote] “There are a number of questions that need to be answered such as who is liable for customers if they are refused travel - their contract is with the tour operator, not the airport, yet it is the airport that is insisting they pay the charge.”

Flybe is the biggest carrier at Norwich Airport and claims to have been kept in the dark about the airport's plans - and stated that it hadn't been consulted prior to the announcement of the additional fees.

A representative from the airport said that the additional revenue received from the tax would help towards getting better facilities at the airport including improved check-in desks, more extensive range of shop, better toilet facilities once within the departure lounges, an improved fire training ground and also introducing noise reduction facilities for the surrounding area.

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