£1 passenger protection levy ‘sparks row’
A plan for a £1 levy on air passengers to provide protection against scheduled airline failure has sparked a “massive row” within the Government, it has been reported.
As the scheme’s supporters look for the measure to be included in the Aviation Bill, which receives its second reading today, The Independent reported a split between the Department for Transport and the Treasury.
The Treasury is arguing that it is a superfluous piece of regulation and that customers themselves should ensure they are covered, the newspaper reported on Saturday.
This is despite the scheme, which is being proposed by the Civil Aviation Authority, winning support of most of the travel industry and the House of Commons Transport Committee. The DoT is understood to also back the plan on the grounds that it would replace existing regulatory law which is unsatisfactory because it only covers a proportion of passengers, the newspaper reported.
But British Airways and Ryanair oppose the idea of the levy, with a spokesman for the UK carrier quoted as saying: “We are a well established airline and it is unfair that our customers should have to fund compensation for those who choose to travel on less established airlines. Due to our passengers volumes, we would have to provide the lion’s share of the funding to provide proection against other airlines’ bankruptcy.”
A spokeswoman for Ryanair reportedly said: “It is like asking Chelsea to give points to relegated teams at the end of every season or like asking Labour to give seats to the Tories after every election win. The proposal is stupidity personified and we totally oppose it.”
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt