The CAA and the Department for Transport both started separate four-week consultation periods on Friday (February 23) on proposed amendments to Atol that will ensure the scheme complies with the EU’s Package Travel Directive, which comes into force on July 1.

The DfT wants comments on broadening the scope of Atol protection through an updated definition of a package holiday and how to implement protection for the new Linked Travel Arrangements (LTAs) under the Package Travel Regulations. It also wants views on who needs to hold an Atol.

David Bourne, head of Atol policy and governance at the CAA, admitted that there was “a fairly short turnaround for the consultation”.

“We want to give people time to actually comply as much as possible once the regulations are laid,” Bourne told TTG.

Bourne said that the industry should get “a couple of months to comply” once the finalised regulations become UK law - the CAA has to implement these changes to the Atol scheme by July 1.

Both the CAA and DFT consultations on changes to the Atol scheme are due to close on March 23.

“We will be reading responses carefully and putting out the final position as soon as we can.

“We will turn it around as quickly as possible. It depends on the amount of feedback and the points raised. We are committed to getting the industry as much time as possible to comply.”

Under the CAA proposals, there will also be changes to the way Atol certificates are issued, while Flight-Plus bookings will become packages in the “vast majority” of cases.

LTAs will not be covered under the revamped Atol system unless they include a flight-only booking that has Atol protection.