AITO chief hits out at ‘fly-by-night’ airlines
Airlines that go bust leaving passengers stranded and out of pocket have come under fire from the head of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.
The organisation’s chairman Derek Moore, speaking in the wake of eight carriers failing this year, called on the government to include scheduled carriers within the £1 consumer protection levy set up to cover travellers using tour operators.
The government appears prepared to sit by and watch consumers lose out when they could so easily have provided consumer protection by including airlines within the remit of the new £1 levy.
Moore said: “I’m fed up of seeing fly-by-night airlines leaving innocent travellers in the lurch.
“It seems that anyone with a 737 sees themselves as the next Richard Branson – and to hell with the consequences when it all ends in tears.
“Consumers need better protection and I strongly urge the Government to include airlines within the £1 levy. It’s common sense to be prudent in this matter.
“Airlines are only too eager to claim that protection is not necessary – yet, staggering as it seems, over 40 have gone out of business in the past 12 months alone.â€
Many travellers are unaware that scheduled airlines do not provide any financial protection in the event of a failure and, with the current price of oil still on the up and competition ever increasing, further collapses are “inevitable,†according to the organisation.
AITO “strongly suggests†that anyone considering a holiday should either protect themselves by buying specific travel insurance that includes scheduled airline failure, or take the simple route and book a fully protected package from a proper specialist tour operator.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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