IDENTITY OF OPERATING CARRIER

The European Commission implemented legislation (Reg 2111/2005) to introduce an EU-wide blacklist of unsafe airlines, which came into force on 16 January 2006 and is updated on a quarterly basis. Operators and agents are obliged to bring the list to customers’ attention and, from 16 July 2006, customers must be advised at the time of booking of the airline operating their flight and of any subsequent changes as soon as possible. In the event that the airline becomes blacklisted, the customer is entitled to reimbursement or rerouting.

ABTA’s Position

ABTA worked closely with the Department for Transport (DfT) in an attempt to curtail some of the more onerous provisions. There are a number of practical issues still outstanding, particularly on an airline being blacklisted post-sale for flights outside the EU where there might be no alternative carrier. With ABTA’s assistance, ECTAA has developed a waiver form which agents can ask passengers to sign - this is in our guidance note for Members, Identity of Operating Carrier.  ABTA has argued that the current process whereby the passenger should be advised of the operating carrier at point of sale and of any change only at time of ticketing, rather than on every interim change, should continue.

Last updated: 8 April 2008