Travel agents concerned after second charter flight is cancelled in less than a week

Young footballers who were meant to be travelling to Denmark for a tournament were sent back home after the plane that was scheduled to operate the flight failed to show up

19 July 2019, 7:00pm
by Staff Reporter

2 min read

Malta’s federation of travel agents has expressed its concern after a second charter flight meant to be carrying passengers between Malta and Denmark was cancelled at the last minute.

This morning, a group of roughly 280 Maltese passengers who were meant to be travelling to Denmark to compete in a football tournament were told to return home after their charter flight was cancelled.

The flight, which was meant to be carrying the young footballers from various clubs around Malta to Denmark to compete in the Dana Cup, was booked through the same broker as a similar charter flight which was cancelled last week.

Reacting to the latest cancellation, the Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents – Malta (FATTA), has expressed its concern, pointing out that travel agents are obliged by law to contribute to an insolvency fund to protect consumers.

The association congratulated Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi for intervening after last week’s cancellation, while calling for an immediate review of the Travel Insolvency Fund regulations.

They argued that the regulation should also include similar protection for consumers against the financial failure of scheduled and charter airlines.

The Package Travel Insolvency Fund regulations protect consumers in case their travel agent becomes insolvent and provides full protection to consumers for advance payments related to package travel services that are not provided as a result of insolvency. It also covers the costs of repatriation for travelers that find themselves stranded abroad.

FATTA noted that only travel agents who are registered with the fund are legally permitted to sell package holidays.

“Without a licensed travel agent, you’re on your own,” FATTA president Iain Tonna said. “FATTA urges consumers to guarantee protection of their payments by booking their package travel services through licensed operators registered with the insolvency fund.”