Atol expert welcomes CAA move to drop Pirie appeal

The decision by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to drop its appeal against the not-guilty ruling given to Travel Republic managing director Kane Pirie has been welcomed by an Atol expert.

Legal advisor to the Association of Atol Companies Alan Bowen said he did not "see much point" in taking action against Pirie as an individual.

He said: "They will want to keep the costs down for everybody. The CAA probably didn't see much point in taking further action against him having lost.

"The real issue is whether the company was acting illegally or not. This would have just diluted the issue and now it keeps things simple."

The CAA will continue to appeal the judge's decision to rule in favour of the online travel agency in a court case last year. A spokeswoman said it was not in the public interest to pursue Pirie.

The CAA took legal action against Travel Republic over an alleged breach of Atol regulations. A hearing date has been set for Friday, May 7 at the Royal Courts of Justice.