Virgin offers 'tax-free' flights to Cancun Its "APD free" sale takes place this weekend and will save a family of four visiting the Mexican resort £324. Sir Richard Branson, Virgin's founder, described APD - which is paid by all passengers flying from a UK airport - as a "disgrace" and claimed that the Government will collect around £600 million from the tax during July and August - equivalent to £10 million per day. "In an Olympic year, it is obscene for the Treasury to be taking £10 million every day from visitors and British holidaymakers alike," he said. This suffocating tax has rocketed way out of control. Years of above-inflation increases have hit passengers hard, are hitting the economy hard and are impeding our recovery from the recession. Virgin is part of the Fair Tax on Flying campaign, a coalition of airlines and travel companies that are urging the Government to rethink its policy on aviation tax. Last month it launched a new website which it hopes will encourage at least 100,000 Britons to register their opposition to APD. Visitors to the website, www.afairtaxonflying.org, are asked to enter their postcode, name and email address. A template email is then automatically sent to their local MP expressing disapproval at the "unacceptable" level of tax paid by travellers flying from the UK. Virgin's Cancun offer will apply to all bookings made on July 14 and 15 for travel between August 28 and December 5, and from January 1 to March 12.