Give us your views before 12 September 2014

Two weeks ago we sent out a special edition of ABTA Today highlighting an important consultation by the CAA on proposals to make major changes to the ATOL scheme. I would encourage you to send us your views on these proposals to help us prepare our response on behalf of Members. In order to respond, please complete the questionnaire (sent to Members on August 27) by Friday September 12. If you cannot locate the email that linked through to the questionnaire please contact atol@abta.co.uk or call 0203 693 0197. If you are sending your views on these proposals directly to the CAA, the deadline for responses to the CAA is 6 October. For further detail on the consultation, I would encourage you to watch the video Proposed major changes to the ATOL scheme.

I am pleased that around 40 Members and Partners dialled in to join a special conference call this week to hear our Head of Financial Protection, John de Vial, explain the nature of the proposals and set out some of the key questions on which we are seeking your views. John dealt with a number of questions from Members on the detail of the proposals and how they will affect Members in the short and longer term. We have concerns that the consultation document does not provide sufficient detail on some of the proposals and we have written to the CAA to ask for further information before the consultation closes. In the meantime we do want to hear your thoughts on these significant proposals including the ending of the Small Business ATOL scheme and proposals to licence reporting accountants.  Members will have their own views on how the CAA should seek to strike the right balance between enabling businesses to access to the ATOL scheme - encouraging innovation and competition – while at the same time creating appropriate and proportionate entry and security requirements to protect the Air Travel Trust fund – please do tell us your views.