Travel firms: Give aviation watchdog power to fine airlines

Holiday companies and consumer groups have written a letter to the prime minister calling for the aviation watchdog to be given the power to fine airlines.

They want the UK government to announce a bill in the next King’s Speech in November that would give the Civil Aviation Authority stronger powers to punish airlines for poor customer service.

Signatories include the CEOs of Riviera Travel, Love Holidays and Thomas Cook, as well as the General Counsel of On the Beach and the CEO of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.

Many Britons have seen their summer vacation plans badly disrupted by strikes, cancellations and bushfires in popular southern European destinations like Rhodes and Tenerife.

Under current rules, travelers whose flights have been suspended must receive a refund or be redirected to a separate flight, and compensated for other expenses such as food and lodging.

But according to the letter, airlines are “routinely failing in what is within their control,” including obligations such as providing passengers with “clear and timely” information.

As a result, the signatory firm Which? says some tourists are using their savings and overdrafts to finance their trips, which has a negative impact on mental health.

In a recent survey by the group, 45 percent of travelers who were delayed said no airline employees were available to help them.

This turmoil has also caused difficulties for package tour providers and third-party companies responsible for flight bookings, who have struggled to recover millions in compensation.

Rocío Concha, which one? The ‘s policy and advocacy director said: ‘Thousands of passengers have been subjected to unfair and in some cases illegal treatment by airlines, and enough is enough.

“We call on the prime minister to show he is on the side of tourists by giving the aviation regulator the power to impose substantial fines on airlines when they break the law.”

In late June, the Transportation Department said the CAA should have more enforcement powers over scheduled airlines.

But the government has not published a timetable for passing these reforms, raising doubts that it will happen before the next UK general election.

The CAA cannot directly fine an airline, so it has to apply to the courts for an enforcement order against it.

Last month, the public body launched legal action against Wizz Air following a high volume of complaints against the budget airline for unpaid refunds.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Airlines are unlikely to be immune to the worsening economic environment and if the CAA is given new powers to fine companies that fail to comply with their legal obligations, They could face another fight.” of turbulence’.