From far left: Fritz Joussen, Tui; Deirdre Wells, UKinbound; Peter Simpson, BMI Regional; and Andrew Swaffield, Monarch


ABTA ISSUES BREXIT ADVICE


Abta provided information for members to pass on to customers, saying: “Travellers are free to move between the UK and EU, European Health Insurance Cards remain valid and regulations such as Air Passenger Rights remain. “People due to travel this summer will see little changes to their holiday. However, the fall in value of the pound will have an impact on holidaymakers and their spending power overseas.”


’ but brace for Brexit’s impact


consequences for our members”. But she said: “We’ve proved time and again we’re a resilient industry. The government must now work hard to secure a deal that supports our industry.” Heathrow issued a statement


saying: “Anyone at the airport will find it operating normally.” Andrew Swaffield, chief


executive of Monarch Airlines, whose parent firm Monarch Holdings is reported to be seeking £35 million in funding, said the


uncertainty caused by Brexit meant finding financing from a firm other than owner Greybull was “probably less likely to happen, frankly”. BMI Regional chief executive


Peter Simpson said: “The uncertainty will add a layer of complexity. We see sizeable opportunities for BMI Regional to continue our pan-European growth, but if the dynamics that unfold prove too challenging, we may have to review this.” Jason Geall, vice-president and


UK general manager for American Express Global Business Travel, said: “Nothing is going to change overnight. It’s incumbent on travel management firm to help customers navigate through this period and to simplify any complexity.” Sunvil group managing director


Chris Wright said: “Business will continue as normal and bookings already made won’t be surcharged at Sunvil. The key message is to encourage consumers to take advantage of the best prices.”


Airport expansion faces further delay due to PM’s resignation


Government turmoil in the wake of the EU vote is casting serious doubts about a decision over UK airport expansion. The prime minister was this


week urged to act swiftly on a new runway in the southeast amid fears over a collapse in economic confidence triggered by the Brexit vote. Business leaders beseeched


David Cameron to rule on an expansion of Heathrow or


Gatwick rather than delaying until his successor is in place. In a letter to The Times, more than 50 senior figures, including Tesco chairman John Allan and Nigel Wilson, chief executive of Legal & General, wrote that a runway decision would “send a message to the world that Britain remains open for business”. The prime minister’s


resignation fuelled weekend speculation that a decision


on airport capacity would be delayed by at least four months until the next PM is in office. Before the referendum, the PM had been expected to make an announcement on airport expansion within the next two weeks after more than a year of behind-the-scenes negotiations. The Airports Commission came out in favour of a third runway at Heathrow last July. ›Willie Walsh, back page


It also responded to customers’ questions, including: Q. Will Brexit affect my holiday?


A. Until the UK officially leaves the EU, not sooner than in two years’ time, there will be no changes to holiday arrangements.


Q. I’ve booked for next year – do I need to do anything? A. No, until the UK officially leaves the EU there will be no changes to holiday arrangements.


Q. Which passport queue do I go to at the airport? A. The same queue as before.


Q. What about duty-free? A. You can bring home unlimited goods until we officially leave the EU.


Q. Will it be more expensive to go abroad? A. Not necessarily. If you’ve already paid for all your travel arrangements, as part of a package holiday, you will be protected to a large degree from a drop in the value of the pound. A weaker pound may impact the cost of flights in the short term.


30 June 2016 travelweekly.co.uk 11


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