CAA wants increase to travel levy

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) want an increase of £2 too £3 in the consumer travel levy on ATOL-protected holidays in a consultation document published today. An increase of more than 200%

Income from the levy is forecast to be £13 million down by next March on industry projections of holiday sales a year ago – which has resulted in 10 million fewer bookings over the two years than originally forecast. .

When the APC was launched, the Air Travel Trust Fund (ATTF) was £20 million in the red, but the new charge was thought capable of reducing the deficit to £9 million by March 2009.

But the CAA today said the fund was projected to be £59 million in the red by March next year, principally because of £37 million it expects to pay from the fund for XL, and because the APC had raised £13 million less than expected.

The Air Travel Trust fund which underwrites consumer financial protection on package holidays will be bankrupt without any further increase from the current £1. The proposal is sure to spark fury among tour operators.

ABTA has lobbied for the scheme to be widened rather than see a rise in the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC).

The only options presented to the trade are of an alternative rise to £2.50 or £3.50.

The CAA blames a combination of “exceptional factors” for the crisis in the fund – the failure of the UK’s third largest travel group XL Leisure last September and a sharp fall below industry forecasts in the number of protected sales due to the recession.

The final cost to the fund of the XL Airways failure is expected to be £37 million, out of a total bill of £89 million, taking the fund to a deficit of £59 million by March 2010.

The Civil aviation authority or CAA does hold out the prospect of a subsequent change in the scheme, with a government consultation in the autumn on proposals to widen ATOL-protection to all flights sold with another holiday component – as suggested by ABTA.

CAA consumer protection group deputy director David Moesli said: “We hope industry respondents do not miss the fact that they are being offered a regulatory change many of them want.

The government wants to hear their views. It would be a disaster if they spend all their time criticising the APC position. It is an opportunity to build a change in the protection scheme.”

ABTA issued a response to the proposal, saying, “We shall be actively consulting with our members to understand the reasons for the proposed increase, and what this means for the future viability of the ATOL Scheme.

“It remains our conviction that broader reform of the ATOL Scheme is long overdue, and we shall be urging this point through the consultation process.”