Government moves to formalise repatriation scheme

The requirements would apply to about a dozen UK-based carriers and would ensure all passengers stranded when a British airline fails are brought home, sources close to the discussions have told TTG. The arrangement would not extend to refunds in advance of travel.

It is unclear at this stage how the scheme would be funded, but it would run parallel to existing Atol protections.

Calls for a formal repatriation scheme intensified after the collapse of Monarch in October 2017 when the government instructed the CAA to repatriate all passengers, irrespective of whether they had Atol protection, at an eventual cost of about £40 million to the taxpayer.

Opinion: ‘Could airline protections make the playing field more uneven?’

The government commissioned the Airline Insolvency Review to find a solution. However, four months after its findings were published in May 2019, the debate was reignited when Thomas Cook failed, leaving 140,000 Britons stranded overseas, all of whom were repatriated by the CAA.

A legislative framework was set out in the December Queen’s speech for a repatriation solution that:“struck a better balance between consumer protection and taxpayers’ interests”; allowed airlines to continue flying while insolvent so they can bring passengers home; and extended the CAA’s remit to include the repatriation of Atol and non-Atol passengers.

The scheme would, effectively, make good on the government’s pledge to bring home all passengers in the event of an insolvency episode, and remove the financial burden from the taxpayer.