p4 nov28 26/11/08 21:21 Page 4
news
28.11.2008
Apollo closure:
150 jobs at risk
THE CO-OPERATIVE Travel Group has started
redundancy consultations with 150 staff working
for Apollo Travel Direct, which is to close in April.
The Co-op, which owns Rotherham-based
Apollo Travel, said it hoped to find alternative
positions for a number of staff in other areas
of its travel business, such as Medinland in
Sheffield, high street travel branches and in the
Future Travel homeworking division.
Distribution director Alistair Rowland said he
deeply regretted the need to make the decision
and said it had not been taken lightly. Getty
“Fulfilment of third-party business – the BANGKOK CRISIS: Operators were struggling to help stranded customers after Thai
mainstay of Apollo’s operations – is no longer anti-government protesters seized control of Bangkok’s international airport. The airport
sustainable for agents, and the situation is was closed until further notice on Wednesday and 3,000 tourists were reported to be
unlikely to improve going forward,” he said. stranded. Kuoni, one of the operators affected, had nearly 200 customers in Bangkok
“As such, the business model of Apollo Travel
Direct has become untenable.
“It is with great reluctance that we have taken
the decision to cease operations, which will
result in a number of redundancies.”
Airlines weigh up
Cook to arrange a
applying for Atols
new date for Hoon
Lee Hayhurst.
However, Photi has been approached by “two
AIRLINES are considering voluntarily applying for significant airlines” interested in taking out Atols.
THOMAS COOK is seeking its own meeting with Atol licences as the credit industry becomes “I’d have thought the CAA would be interested,
transport secretary Geoff Hoon as the pressure nervous about its legal obligation to protect providing the [airlines’] finances stood up,” he said.
to reform consumer protection mounts. consumer payments of £100 or more. The CAA said it would update the position of the
Tui Travel will send a delegation, including Chris Photi, senior partner at accountancy firm Air Travel Trust Fund that backs Atol in due course.
chief executive Peter Long, to meet Hoon on White Hart Associates, said the possibility had It has been claimed September’s failure of XL
December 4, when Cook boss Manny Fontenla- arisen as the credit crunch prompts merchant Leisure Group has left the CAA with a financial
Novoa is in Turkey at the firm’s conference. acquirers, which act as intermediaries in the “black hole”, prompting speculation that the £1
Cook had been considering sending someone event of claims from credit card holders, to take Atol Protection Contribution could be increased
to next week’s meeting in Fontenla-Novoa’s place risk out of their businesses. next year to as much as £5 (TTG November 21).
but this week confirmed a separate meeting will If airlines are not able to mitigate some of the Observers say any increase is more likely to be
be arranged when he can attend. risk they pose they could be forced to accept less to £2.50 and will happen by April.
The meetings were agreed after the big two favourable terms from credit card companies. A spokesman said: “We don’t recognise the
sent a letter to Hoon demanding reform of Last week the CAA heard calls from the trade, figures quoted in recent reports about XL.
consumer protection following the collapse of XL including Abta/FTO, to bring all airlines into Atol “We are continuing the work of ensuring
Leisure Group. when it met 29 industry bosses in London. repayments are made in a timely fashion to
They, and the FTO, expressed their anger over It is thought unlikely airlines would be allowed members of the public and to the trade.”
suggestions the £1 per passenger Atol Protection to join the Atol system, which covers package
Contribution could rise. sales, because a change in law would be required. ■ ‘Airlines risk $20bn order shortfall’: Air, p26
04 28.11.2008
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