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CAA planning to ditch paper ATOL for electronic version
The Civil Aviation Authority is considering introducing electronic ATOLs to replace paper certificates later this year, which could make it easier to repatriate and refund passengers following a company failure.
New chief executive Richard Moriarty told delegates at today’s Travel Matters Conference in London that a feasibility study into the proposal has been launched.
He said the advantage of e-ATOLS is that the booking data would be automatically sent to the CAA, customers would be able to check their protection online, and the CAA would have immediate access to all booking data as soon as a company collapsed.
"This will enable a more efficient repatriation and refund service," he said.
"On a personal level, I’ve been through one massive repatriation exercise following the sad demise of Monarch Airlines and I can attest that for such operations, our ability to access real-time data about who is where, and their contact details, is an essential asset."
E-ATOLs could also reduce the regulatory burden on travel agents as it might mean that written agency agreements will no longer be needed if all the relevant booking data is sent to the CAA as soon as a booking is made.
Under the new proposals, whoever makes the sale will send the booking data to the CAA, where it will be held on a secure database.
"As I said we are conducting a feasibility study. This will determine if there is a credible case for actually developing the system. If we take this forward I would want us to work extensively with industry to produce something that can work for everyone," added Moriarty.
Advantage chief executive Julia Lo-Bue Said welcomed his announcement. "We need to know how it will work operationally, but it seems like a good idea. It won’t have a huge affect on our members but it might be good for customers so we look forward to the consultation and finding out more."
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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