ABTA urges government action after Globespan collapse
Thursday, 17 Dec, 2009
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Government action is being demanded following the failure of Flyglobespan which left thousands of people flight-only trips stranded abroad and thousands more out of pocket.
The airline was linked to the tour operator Globespan, which sold package holidays.
These are obliged by law to be financially protected and Globespan package holiday customers are being flown home free of charge by the Civil Aviation Authority under the ATOL scheme.
ABTA has repeatedly raised the issue of this ‘double standard’ of financial protection and recommended that airlines be required to offer the same level of financial protection as package tour operators.
This would ensure airline customers would be provided with flights home free of charge or refunds for future bookings if an airline collapsed.
The Department for Transport is currently reviewing the scope of the ATOL scheme and the European Commission looking into the current lack of airline financial protection and ABTA is urging both to take urgent action.
ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Once more a bankrupt airline has left customers stranded abroad and out of pocket.
“The Government must take action so that airline customers are no longer treated as second class citizens and have the same level of protection that tour operators have provided to their customers for over 30 years.”
*See linked stories.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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