Travel company ceases trading
Essex-based travel company Astonbury Ltd, trading as Skyjet, has ceased trading.
The company sold flights to Amritsar in India from Birmingham on the Austrian airline Comtel.
Comtel is under investigation after passengers alleged it had left them stranded and forced them to pay for additional fuel (see earlier story).
Skyjet was a licensed ATOL-holder so the CAA has stepped in to protect passengers.
The CAA estimates that there are around 200 people currently overseas and they will be able to return to the UK thanks to the CAA’s ATOL protection scheme.
Passengers who booked ATOL-protected trips with Skyjet but have not travelled will be able to claim a full refund from the CAA.
All forward bookings are now cancelled and customers are advised not to go to the airport.
Customers, who contracted ATOL-protected trips with Skyjet will be financially protected under ATOL 6789 and should make a claim for a refund through the CAA.
Customers are advised to speak to their travel agent about making a claim under the ATOL Scheme.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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