Industry leaders welcome MPs support of Civil Aviation Bill
The industry has welcomed reports that MPs have voted the Civil Aviation Bill through Committee stage which should ultimately allow holiday sales by airlines to be included in the ATOL scheme.
Aviation minister Theresa Villiers MP pledged that she will consult on holidays sold by airlines entering the ATOL scheme in 2013, should the Bill become law.
The industry has long called for ATOL reform to extend to airlines selling holidays so that everyone is on a level footing and customers are not confused. But it requires this primary legislation to include them.
Luke Pollard, ABTA head of Public Affairs, said: "This is an essential milestone in the path towards the inclusion of holiday sales by airlines in the ATOL scheme of financial protection.
"Over the last few weeks, ABTA has been in discussion with MPs on the Public Bill Committee to ensure that the ATOL clauses pass through this stage and we’re delighted that MPs have voted them through.
"It is critical that we, and others in the industry, continue to keep up the pressure for the inclusion of airline holiday sales within ATOL, at the earliest opportunity. Until this happens the scheme will remain confusing for consumers and unfair for travel businesses. "
Thomas Cook UK & Ireland’s Director of Government and external affairs, Andy Cooper, said: ‘We’ve always maintained that the simplest solution to the ATOL scheme is to include all holidays, including those sold by airlines, and we welcome the changes contained within the Civil Aviation Bill as a necessary step to protect more consumers from travel company failures.
The Bill now returns to the House of Commons for two further votes before being scrutinised by the House of Lords.
The Government expects the Civil Aviation Bill to complete its Parliamentary progress by April 2013.
Diane
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