The U.K. government has postponed until April 2012 any further increases in its air passenger duty

, currently as much as £170 for premium passengers on ultra-long haul flights, making it by far the highest departure tax in the developed world. The government had investigated the possibility of switching to a per-plane duty from the per-passenger one, but Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told the House of Commons such a charge would be illegal under international law. The government for the first time also will levy the tax on private jets.