p6 news Apr10 7/4/09 20:45 Page 6
news
ttglive.com
CAA under fire over
Long: APC rise
delays to XL claims
not acceptable
TUI TRAVEL chief executive Peter Long has
warned the CAA that his company will not
Chris Gray.
huge and unprecedented but it’s hard to get hold accept any increase in the APC levy as a result
AGENTS and consumers joined forces this week of somebody to speak to,” she said. “They need of consultation due to start this month.
to attack delays and lack of communication to have a more efficient system to deal with it.” The CAA will send out consultation documents
from the CAA in handling XL Leisure Group The row came as Roger Allard, chairman of suggesting different levels of increase for the
compensation claims. All Leisure Group, who helped in the repatriation APC within weeks.
The organisation said “it could only hold up its operation after XL’s collapse, said the industry But Long warned Tui had made it “very clear”
hands and apologise” but said the complexity had been lucky it was able to get all stranded to the government it did not want any change.
and legal difficulties involved were not of its holidaymakers home. “If the outcome of this latest consultation is
making. He said there were very few aircraft to increase the APC levy from £1, that’s not
It issued its apology after the BBC’s available last September, unlike the acceptable,” he said.
Watchdog this week highlighted previous biggest collapse, when ILG “We’re not going to just roll over and fund the
consumers’ anger over lack of infor- went bust in the early 1990s. rest of the industry.”
mation about what was happening The government should re- Long added that more rather than less of the
to their claims. One suggested member that as well as funding industry should be protected, but would not say
the CAA should be renamed “Can’t repatriation through the £1 levy, what action Tui would take if APC were increased.
Acknowledge Anybody”. there also had to be a system He said transport secretary Geoff Hoon under-
One agent, Sarah Rose, of to organise the logistics, he stood the issue but thought it doubtful the govern-
Greece specialist Little Island said. ment could deliver. “We’ve already been here: it’s
Holidays, part of the Holiday The CAA said it had what the CAA proposed but the airlines overruled.
Direct Group, told TTG that the warned it would take The likelihood of change is minimal,” said Long.
CAA and Cega group, the about a year to process
company handling the claims, all claims and its progress ■ EXCLUSIVE Peter Long interview, p12
had only automated answer- was “heavily dependent”
ing services and communi- on the speed with which
cated by email. it was supplied with
“I know the collapse was Allard: “Industry lucky to fly back all XL’s customers” information.
Mannion quits as
Aer Lingus boss
AER LINGUS chief executive Dermot Mannion
stepped down this week, on the same day as the
Irish flag-carrier started its heavily promoted
new routes from Gatwick.
Mannion’s departure was announced within
hours of the routes being launched by Enda
Corneille, Aer Lingus’s corporate affairs director,
and Gatwick managing director Andy Flower.
Corneille is being touted as one of the
potential successors to Mannion, who had
fought off two hostile takeovers from Ryanair
and was repositioning the airline as a no-frills
carrier serving UK leisure routes.
BOWLING MAIDENS OVER: Ava Ryner, Wendy Albutt, Sue Connor, Julie Franklin and
Michelle Albutt, from the Elite Travel Group, helped host agents from the consortium at
a bowling evening sponsored by Titan Tours, Explore!, Shearings, First Class, Sunset,
Hoseasons and Leger. The winning team, the Pro Solutions agency, won £150. A new leaf: Enda Corneille (left), Aer Lingus; and Andy Flower, Gatwick
06 10.04.2009
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