CAA update on repatriation flights following XL collapse
Jim Mason
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that it has now completed
52 repatriation flights carrying 11,900 people since the collapse of
holiday company XL on Friday 12 September. The CAA emphasised that this has
been achieved through cooperation from tour operators, airlines and the
travel industry in general.
The CAA is organising flights for the customers protected under its ATOL
protection scheme, and is offering capacity to enable those passengers who
had bought only a flight with XL Airways and so are not ATOL-protected to
fly back to the UK at a reasonable price.
The CAA has organised flights to the UK from Orlando and Sanford (Florida),
Las Palmas and Tenerife (Canaries), Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt), Mahon
(Minorca), Palma (Majorca), Alicante and Malaga (Spain), Faro (Portugal),
Kavala, Lefkas, Mykonos, Rhodes, Skiathos and Zante (Greece) and Bodrum and
Dalaman (Turkey).
The aircraft have been provided by BA, bmi British Midland, Monarch
Airlines, First Choice Airways, Jet2.com, Astraeus and Virgin Atlantic.
Richard Jackson, CAA Director of Consumer Protection, said: “This progress
is due to the hard work of people in the industry, who are working together
in close cooperation with CAA staff to support the customers of the failed
XL Group and bring them home as close as possible to their planned flight
times. The CAA is extremely grateful for their support. However we would
emphasise that this is a huge undertaking and we continue to ask for
customers to be patient. For ATOL-protected customers still on holiday in
resorts, the CAA is arranging for hotels and suppliers to be paid so that
people can complete their holidays before returning home.”
Thomson, First Choice, Thomas Cook and Virgin Holidays staff are providing
essential support on the ground in resorts, with cooperation from other
tour operators and the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO), which is helping
to coordinate this operation.
People can consult the CAA website www.atol.org.uk under 'failure of XL
Leisure Group' and 'more information for passengers in resort' for up-to-
date information on all repatriation flights that have been arranged. The
call centre numbers are +44 (0) 2891 856547 for customers abroad; and 0870
590 0927 for customers in the UK with advance bookings. Customers are asked
to check the ATOL website before telephoning as the information they need
is likely to be found there.
Notes to editors
ATOL (short for Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) is managed by the CAA and
gives comprehensive protection from losing money or being stranded abroad
to 26 million people in the UK who buy air holidays and flights from tour
operators each year. It is by far the largest travel protection scheme in
the UK, and the only one for flights and air holidays sold by tour
operators.
All tour operators selling flights and air holidays must hold a licence
from the CAA. If a licence holder fails, the CAA is responsible for
ensuring customers are either repatriated to the UK or receive a refund of
payments made.
Repatriation costs and refunds are met by the Air Travel Trust fund, the
funds of which come from a £1 per person contribution, called the ATOL
Protection Contribution, each licence holder is required to make when it
accepts a booking under its ATOL. In some circumstances a licence holder
will have also provided a bond, which is used in the first instance to
protect customers.
In the year to March 2008, ATOL enabled over 2,000 customers of failed tour
operators to complete their holidays and return to the UK and 21,000
received a refund of advance payments. For the year, total expenditure on
repatriations and refunds was £7.5 million.
Further information about ATOL is available on the ATOL website at
www.atol.org.uk.