Northern Ireland companies to come into ATOL
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Travel companies based in Northern Ireland that sell holidays through the Republic of Ireland will no longer be exempt from ATOL regulations from the end of next month.
Under a new agreement between the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Air Travel Trust (ATT) and the Irish Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR), firms based in Northern Ireland will have to hold an ATOL license for flight-only and flight-inclusive packages sold to UK residents that depart from Ireland.
The CAA will remove ATOL bonding and ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) when the customer is also protected by CAR. The holiday company will still have to issue an ATOL certificate regardless of where the passenger flies from.
Northern Ireland-based travel companies are currently paying twice for financial protection when clients choose to fly from Ireland, as the holiday is covered by both rules.
The move is seen as an ‘interim measure’ pending the outcome of the new Package Travel Directive which is currently under review.
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