Transport Secretary thanks aviation industry for support
The Transport Secretary has thanked the aviation industry for its support in the repatriation of Monarch customers following the airline’s collapse last year, as well as its contribution to the economy.
Chris Grayling told industry representatives at an Airlines UK event: "I’d like to thank everyone across the industry who helped bring back Monarch passengers who could otherwise have been stranded abroad.
"It was a massive effort, with government working alongside airlines and airports to deal with a complex and difficult logistical challenge."
He used the speech to announce Peter Bucks, a former financial adviser at energy regulator OFGEM, has been appointed chairman of the independent insolvency review set up following Monarch’s collapse.
Grayling said: "The review I’ve asked him to carry out will help us explore options for a new framework to deal with the failure of airlines and travel companies so that airlines can be wound down in an orderly fashion, and passengers repatriated or refunded with minimal or no government intervention.
"I welcome the regulatory and finance experience he’ll bring to aviation."
In the speech, Grayling also said: "Without the £52 billion that aviation adds to our GDP, the million jobs it supports and all the inward investment it generates, we simply could not have reduced our deficit by three quarters over the past seven years or achieved the record employment levels which we see in Britain today.
"It’s because we have the largest aviation network in Europe and airlines competing to give the customer a wide choice, and a great deal that so many multinational firms invest in Britain.
"And it’s because we have a fundamentally strong economy that demand for air travel has grown so fast in recent years."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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