The European Parliament will vote today on an amendment to the proposed European legislation that will ensure air carriers provide financial security to refund passengers’ money and repatriate passengers in the event of a carrier becoming insolvent or losing its licence.

The proposed legislation includes provisions that could bring more transparency in the offer of flights, with an obligation to provide airfares that include taxes, fees and charges.

Another condition prohibits discrimination in access to fares on the base of the place of residence of the traveller or on the place of establishment of the travel agent throughout Europe.

The Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (Fatta), which is also a member of the Group of National Tour Operators’ and Travel Agents’ Associations within the EU (ECTAA), believes that such transparency is greatly needed and that it will bring important benefits to travellers and to travel agents when serving their customers across Europe.

ECTAA hopes that these features will be supported by the European Parliament in today’s plenary session.

At present, when an airline goes bankrupt or ceases operations, passengers have no possibility of recovering the value of their unused ticket or of obtaining repatriation if they are stranded abroad.

According to a study mandated by the European Commission, 50 airlines went bankrupt in the five-year period between 2000 and 2005, leaving more than 63,000 passengers stranded abroad without a return ticket.