BA boss warns costly aviation taxes and rail tickets are stunting UK growth

Sean Doyle says the UK ends up with tourists concentrated in only the cities well-served by transport, such as Edinburgh and London. Photograph: Jui-Chi Chan/Alamy

The cost of travel to and around the UK is keeping millions of tourists away and slowing economic growth, the boss of British Airways said, as he urged a rethink of aviation taxes.

The airline’s chief executive, Sean Doyle, said the UK had some of the highest aviation taxes in the world and was falling behind countries such as Japan, France and Germany in boosting its inbound tourism.