Consumer protection legislation
There are various laws that are designed to protect consumers and which apply to businesses who make available air travel. Some of these can be accessed here:
- Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) Regulations 2012/1017
- The Civil Aviation (Contributions to the Air Travel Trust) Regulations 2007
- The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
- The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018
Official Record Series 3
(ORS3) contains important information such as:
- the ATOL Standard Terms
- the Accredited Body Standard Terms
- the Schedule of Agency Terms to be included in agency agreements
- the format for ATOL Certificates
- the format for Annual Accountants' Reports
- the rate and payment periods for ATOL Protection Contributions (APC), and
- exemptions from the ATOL and ATT Regulations
Policy publications
Our ATOL Policy and Regulations documents provide information on different aspects of the ATOL scheme, including our criteria for assessing Fitness and Finances.
We have also published, with the OFT, advice on the requirements of consumer law which are applicable to the sale and advertising of flights and holidays: CAP1014 & CAP1015
ATOL Compliance and Consumer enforcement
The main purpose of the CAA’s enforcement role is to protect consumers and the public by encouraging compliance with rules applicable to civil aviation and to deter non-compliance. In most cases we take an educational and advisory role, but on occasions we will have to act, which may include prosecuting a business or individual.
More on our approach towards the enforcement of the ATOL Regulations can be found here.
More on our enforcement of consumer law can be found here.
More on our role in enforcement and prosecutions can be found here.
Public hearings
If in accordance with ATOL Regulation 57(3), the CAA is required to publish notice of the date, time and place of a public hearing, the details would be published on this site.