Justine Greening, secretary of state for transport, has acknowledged the current queuing problems at passport control at Heathrow and other UK airports are “a problem that needs to be fixed”. Ms Greening was responding to questions from the floor following the release this morning of a report highly critical of the level of service provided by the UK Border Force following staff cuts last year.

ABTA has revealed details of the combined bonding facility it will be able to offer Members as part of the ABTA-ATOL Joint Administration Scheme (ABTA-ATOL JAS).  The CAA will require new ATOL holders to have bonding arrangements in place in relation to their ATOL activity.  The facility will give retail travel agents the choice to meet their total bonding requirements, through the mechanism of a combined retail and principal Bond, held by ABTA.

ABTA – The Travel Association today provides its initial response to publication of the Department for Transport’s ATOL Reform Regulations. Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive, ABTA said:  “ABTA supports the extension of consumer protection for holidays and believes the concept of Flight Plus is the right first step towards achieving this, with the inclusion of holidays sold by airlines an essential second step. 

Bookings open soon, on 16 April, for ABTA’s 2012 Travel Convention held at the luxurious, state of the art, all-inclusive Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort & Spa in Belek, a short drive away from Antalya in the South of Turkey. The Cornelia Diamond is considered the World’s Leading Fully Integrated Resort 2011 by the prestigious World Travel Awards, a five star complex, with a spa, sports and convention centre and its own 27 hole golf club.

ABTA expressed its disappointment that the Government is to go ahead with an 8% double inflation rise in Air Passenger Duty rates from 1 April 2012. The announcement in today’s budget that APD rates will also increase by inflation from 1 April 2013 is a further hammer blow to the industry. The Chancellor expects to collect £2.2bn in 2011-12 from APD revenues, rising to £3.9bn by 2016-17, by far the highest aviation taxes in the world.

ABTA has written to the Chancellor George Osborne with a five point action plan to drive growth opportunities for the travel industry ahead of the 21 March Budget. Highlights include a plea to revisit decisions on Air Passenger Duty and a request for an increase in the UK’s connectivity.