Brussels, 24/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - Following on from MEPs, tour operators and travel agents are also driving home the message: the European Commission must take action to provide better consumer protection in the event of airline insolvency.
Last week, the European Parliament's transport and tourism committee adopted the report by Georges Bach (EPP, Luxembourg) on passenger protection rights throughout the transport sector. The committee is calling for the issue involving stranded passengers when airlines go bankrupt, to be settled.
The European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association (ECTAA) is following the committee's line and is encouraging the European institutions take action. It points out that airline insolvencies over the last decade have affected some 1.8 million people in Europe. Since the beginning of 2012, nine European airlines have closed down. ECTAA explained that the Hungarian airline, Malev, accounts for 100,000 requests for reimbursement alone, which have still not yet been processed. The association is highly critical of the shortcomings in consumer protection and highlighted the fact that passengers with a seat-only ticket are those with least protection in the event of airline insolvency. The president of ECTA is therefore losing patience and pointed out “the critical need for legislation to protect passengers in case of airline insolvency is unfortunately confirmed every time an airline goes bankrupt. It is time that the European Commission took stock of the issue and finally responded to the European Parliament's call for legislation”. (MD/trans.fl)