p4 sep26 24/9/08 22:20 Page 4
news
26.09.2008
ITT lines up Cook
chief for 2009
Travel Republic
NEXT year’s ITT conference will be held in Dubai
and feature Thomas Cook chief executive Manny
may now seek Atol
Fontenla-Novoa as a keynote speaker.
Details of the event, on June 8-10, were
Lucy Huxley.
may reject these claims and is poised
announced by chairman Steven Freudmann on TRAVEL REPUBLIC is considering to issue criminal proceedings against
Monday at the annual ITT president’s dinner at applying for an Atol, believing
C
O
companies that have been packaging
the Dorchester, London. the licence’s “commercial appeal”
STO
VER
without licences.
The conference, last held in the Middle East in may have heightened following the
R
Y It is thought a case could be
2005 in Oman, will collapse of the XL Leisure Group. brought as soon as next month.
be based at the Kane Pirie, managing director of the UK’s The CAA revealed in May that it had a
Intercontinental largest online dynamic packaging agency, admit- “hit list” of 10 major companies it was keen to
Hotel Festival City. ted the negative publicity about unprotected clamp down on, and several agents are known to
ITT is offering holidays had prompted it to review its position. have received letters in July advising that their
delegates deals Travel Republic has been one of the companies files had been passed to the CAA’s Aviation Reg-
on flights with at the centre of controversy over Atol compliance, ulation Enforcement and Investigation Branch.
Royal Air Brunei, with many licensed competitors calling for Pirie refused to comment on any possible
for £100, and with the CAA to get tough with those that continue to court case, but said: “We have an ongoing
Virgin Atlantic operate without one (TTG September 19). dialogue with the CAA. At the heart of this is an
and British Air- But Pirie stressed that any application would be honest difference of opinion over the meaning of
ways for £200, merely for consumer reassurance and not because a ‘package’ as defined in law. I remain hopeful
excluding taxes. Speaker: Manny Fontenla-Novoa Travel Republic had operated outside of rules. we will have it all resolved positively soon.”
“The law hasn’t changed and my interpreta- The XL failure is believed to have impacted on
tion of it is that we are whiter than white and Travel Republic in other ways. TTG understands
Chair fire sparks
not exploiting any loopholes, as some have that a potential investment by a venture
mischievously reported,” he said. “But that said, capitalist this autumn has been put back.
CAA safety call
it may be now that the commercial appeal of Pirie, who confirmed in August he was looking
Atol is higher and one option is that we may for investors to grow the business, said: “There is
volunteer to get an Atol for that reason alone.” no need for us to rush into any transaction. With
THE CAA has issued a warning about possessions While Pirie is confident Travel Republic’s the XL failure and the equity and debt markets in
that might pose a danger when taken on to customers are covered by the Freedom Flights turmoil, we can afford to wait for calmer times.”
aircraft, after an electric wheelchair caught fire Atol and that the CAA will meet their claims,
at Manchester airport. other commentators suggest that the authority ■ XL collapse fallout, pages 6-7
The incident occurred as ground staff were
unloading baggage from a Boeing 757 and they
noticed sparks coming from the chair. When it
was removed from the scene it burst into flames. Abta to move to London Bridge
Geoff Leach, manager of the CAA’s dangerous
goods office, said: “Thankfully, no one was ABTA is poised to relocate its head- and already sublets some floors.
injured as a result of the incident. The cause of quarters from Newman Street to The offices, in a prime location
the fire is under investigation, but it does high- new offices in London Bridge. off Oxford Street, are a signifi-
light the need for passengers to be extremely The move is understood to be cant asset for the assocation.
vigilant when taking items onboard aircraft. likely by late March 2009. An update on the move was
“Some items, which are relatively innocuous Its Newman Street offices, given to directors on Wednesday,
in everyday use, are capable of posing a serious home to Abta since the mid- but no contracts have yet been
risk to the occupants of an aircraft and therefore 1990s, will be rented out. signed for the new offices.
need to be carefully checked.” Abta has been consolidating its
The incident occurred on September 7. use of its Newman Street building Abta: moving from Newman Street ■ Out & about, page 20
04 26.09.2008
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