Chancellor Alistair Darling has admitted that Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a tax to help fight the banking crisis, according to reports.

Speaking in London last month, Darling told The Journal: "I am quite blunt about it, we need to raise money to pay for some things we have done.

"If unemployment goes up there is a cost obviously to the family, there is cost in increased benefits, Northern Rock has cost a lot of money."

A Treasury spokesman confirmed to Travel Weekly APD has always been a "revenue raising instrument".

Petition approaches 13,000 signatures

An APD petition on government website Number10.gov.uk had reached 12,926 signatures this morning.

The petition, which calls upon the Prime Minister to 'to reconsider [the government's] intention to more than double Airline Passenger Duty (APD) in 2010' closes on April 27 2010.

APD will increase by up to 112% in November 2010.At a time when the airline industry is suffering this move will penalise holidaymakers at a time when disposable income is falling.

This Government has continually penalised the airline and holiday industry on the basis that they are doing it to help the environment, something any normal person will realise is not true. APD already raises £2 billion annually, and is obvious to anyone that the Governement is not using this money to help the environment but instead sees the airlines in the same way as they see motorists, i.e. another opportunity to tax the british public