Select committee: Transport Committee
Recommendation 19
Second Report: The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation sector
Published 13 Jun 2020
Paragraph 102
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Coronavirus: implications for transport All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We note the Civil Aviation Authority’s concerns that the exercise of its current powers in relation to refunds can be difficult and take too long. They are also unable to impose financial penalties on operators who do not meet their obligations, The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation sector 39 unlike other regulators in the transport sector. We welcome the CAA’s review into how airlines are handling refunds during the coronavirus pandemic and look forward to its publication. We recommend that the Department and CAA conclude speedily a review of the CAA’s powers, to ensure that it can enforce the rights of passengers in an effective and timely way in future.
From: Transport Committee, Second Report: The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation sector (HC 268), paragraph 102, 13 June 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 7 September 2020 (deadline 13 August 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government agrees on the importance of the aviation sector and of international standards, and sets out measures including Travel Corridors and a recovery plan, while giving reasons for retaining the existing legal refund deadlines and noting it is legally prevented from intervening in slot allocation.
- On quarantine, it describes self-isolation for arrivals as a precautionary, "time-limited" measure and says Travel Corridors exempt arrivals from certain countries, with the exemption list "under constant review".
- It aims to publish an aviation recovery plan to 2025 "this Autumn", covering matters including workforce and skills, regional connectivity and consumer issues.
- On sector-specific tax support, it points to cross-economy schemes, says it "would consider support on a 'last resort' basis", and notes a forthcoming consultation on aviation tax reform.
- On refunds, it says consumers "retain their legal right to a cash refund" and that it kept the existing legal time periods. It will look at the CAA's enforcement powers.