p4 News mar13 11/3/09 20:45 Page 4
news
13.03.2009
Pirie pleads
‘Act fast to stave
‘Not guilty’
TRAVEL REPUBLIC managing director Kane Pirie off APC rise to £3’
has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges of breaching
Atol regulations.
Pirie entered the not guilty pleas at Westmin-
Lee Hayhurst.
the consultation,” he said. “The current scheme
ster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Not guilty THE INDUSTRY has been warned it must act needs to be broadened to incorporate
pleas to the same 20 charges were also entered quickly if its views on the future of Atol are to be ‘transportation plus’ to bring in anyone selling
on behalf of Travel Republic as a company. included in a CAA consultation, now expected to components.
The case has been brought by the CAA, which start in late April. “If you had a broad enough reach for Atol,
alleges Pirie and his firm breached regulation Views are split over whether the CAA and the anyone outside it would be disadvantaged
3 (1A) (a) of The Civil Aviation (Atol) Regulations. government will take seriously demands to because they would not be able to offer the same
The regulation states “no one shall make avail- extend Atol to include component sales and consumer protection.”
able flight accommodation which constitutes a non-flight packages. However, Alan Bowen, legal adviser for the
component of a package in the capacity of an But senior sources agree the industry has just Association of Atol Companies, said it would
agent without the components being made avail- weeks to stave off a controversial rise in the “strongly oppose” this, claiming Atol and the
able under one contract between the licence £1 Atol Protection Contribution. Package Travel Regulations could not be split.
holder and the consumer”. Led by Abta and a new working party, the He added he believed the CAA would offer just
The case was adjourned until April 8. trade is fine-tuning a proposal that suggests one solution to Atol’s financial problems – an
Atol should be split from the European Package increase in APC to £3.
Travel Regulations. FTO director-general Andy Cooper disagreed,
Freudmann quits
The plan effectively proposes that agents saying the Abta proposal would simply be a re-
selling components, anyone selling non-air turn to the position that existed before Atol was
Unpackaged role
packages and even airlines be allowed to linked to the Package Travel Regulations in 2003.
operate under the Atol regulations. He said his main concern had been that
ABTA DIRECTOR and ITT chairman Steven Freud- But Advantage chief executive John McEwan consultation would be a foregone conclusion,
mann (below) has resigned as a director of Seligo said time was running desperately short to make but he believed the CAA was taking industry
parent company Unpackaged Holidays. sure this proposal was included in the consulta- views onboard.
Freudmann remains as non-executive tion being finalised by the CAA.
chairman and a director of Unpackaged parent “There almost needs to be a consultation on ■ McEwan urges Abta partnership, p6
Alpha Prospects, which he set up with his brother
Tony last year to buy travel companies.
However, he said it was “not appropriate” to be MacLean is consulting on the proposed delay
a director of the main company and a subsidiary.
Cosmos Tourama
with key agents, but said a late launch may not
Alpha bought the Unpackaged Group, including be appropriate as escorted tours generally do
Seligo, in February 2008. Companies House mulls 2010 delay not book late.
records show a new company, Seligo Holidays, He claimed the market was holding up well
was established on February 23, with Tony COSMOS Tourama is considering delaying the despite the recession, with passenger volumes
Freudman as one of its two directors. launch of its 2010 programme in line with down 12% but expenditure stable.
Cosmos’s mainstream launch. MacLean said: “There are so many contrary
Alan MacLean, managing director of specialist factors, such as exchange rates and inflation in
products at Cosmos, said he was considering de- resorts, so there’s a lot to be said for considering
laying the launch for two months until July 2009. a delay.
A decision is likely in the next week. “But mainstream is different. Because we
Tui Travel and Cosmos have confirmed they have a lot of trips-of-a-lifetime, people book a
are delaying summer 2010 programmes until long time in advance.
July 2 to allow time to focus on summer 2009 “However, no one wants to invest money in a
sales (TTG March 6). brochure where there is no demand.”
04 13.03.2009
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