by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Fewer people in Kent and the south east will take a plane after today's hike in air passenger duty, according to a survey.

In poll findings that will alarm the county's airport and tourism chiefs, FlyingMatters, a coalition of business, trade unions, tourism organisations and the aviation industry, discovered that 46 per cent of people are less likely to fly.

Just over a third - 34 per cent - said they had already cut back on the number of times they travel abroad.

Since 2007, the duty has increased by 213 per cent for the longest flights departing from UK airports.

Passengers now pay anything from £85 in tax for economy "band D" long-haul flights to £170 for "band D" premium.

In 2009/10 the Government raised £1.9bn from the tax and the yield from this tax will rise to £3.5bn by 2014-15.

Some fliers will now face a 55 per cent increase.

The CBI, the employers' group, urged the Government to boost aviation rather than damaging its competitiveness. It fears that airlines will migrate to other international airports.

Neil Bentley, CBI director for business environment, warned that the big rise in air passenger duty would hit tourists and business travellers alike.

"This could discourage foreign visitors coming to the UK as the tax affects them when they leave the country, hitting British tourism and trade."

Meanwhile, in the wake of the discovery of explosive devices on cargo aircraft, the Freight Transport Association, based in Tunbridge Wells, defended the industry against charges it had been lax with security.

It had long taken seriously the threat of possible terrorist action against cargo aircraft and worked "assiduously with law enforcement and security agencies to provide a security regime that will prevent this from happening."