AIRTOURS
has announced a £10 million drop in profits following the terrorist attacks in
the US.
The
operator was on track to deliver record profits by September 30 – the end of
its financial year – but saw a sharp drop in the last three weeks.
A trading
statement issued by the operator said significant operating flexibility would
help it deal with changes in consumer demand as a result of the crisis.
Based on experience of booking patterns during the Gulf
War, the operator suggests the leisure travel market is robust and that
disruption to bookings is related to timing rather than a fall in overall
demand.