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Top ten Atol holders reduce licences by five million passengers

The UK’s ten largest Atol holders have collectively reduced the number of passengers they are licenced to carry by more than five million.

The big two – Tui and Jet2holidays – have decreased their Atol licences by more than three million between them.

Tui, the largest Atol holder, is now licenced to carry 3,737,831 passengers over the next 12 months, down from 5,555,145 last year.

Jet2holidays, the second largest Atol holder, is now licenced for 3,479,182, down from 4.8 million it had in April, and the 3,915,000 it had in October 2019.

Licences are variable and can be increased as the year progressed, but are an indicator of the programmes tour operators plan for the coming year – with the drop in the figures indicative of a contraction in the travel industry as it battles with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The top ten Atol holders, between them, now have licences to carry a collective 12,055,667 passengers in the next year.


More: Fewer than 1,000 Atols renewed in September


Online travel agencies On the Beach and Loveholidays retain their places in third and fourth on the list of largest Atol holders.

On the Beach’s licence for 1,223,667 is largely unchanged from its April renewal, when it dropped from 1,646,800. Loveholidays’ licence is unchanged at 1,085,000.

British Airways’ package holiday division British Airways Holidays contracted to 598,522 from just over one million in April, and remains the fifth largest Atol holder.

EasyJet Holidays moves up to sixth place despite dropping from 726,000 to 547,413 since April. Combined with easyJet Airlines’ separate Atol for 341,602 – down from 793,874 in April – easyJet has a licence for 889,015, down from more than 1.5 million collectively.

Lastminute.com parent Bravo Next, on 433,173, down from 640,555 is seventh in the list, with Expedia (317,009, down from 874,208) and Southall Travel on 291,500, completing the top ten.

Travel Republic, which slips out of the top ten into 12th on the list, reduced its Atol licence from 555,060 to 165,265.

Top 20 Atol licence holders

RankLicence holderAtol numberPassengers licensed
1TUI UK Ltd25243,737,831
2Jet2holidays Ltd96183,479,182
3On the Beach Travel Limited115491,223,667
4We Love Holidays Ltd109891,085,769
5British Airways Holidays Ltd5985598,522
6easyJet Holidays Ltd11694547,413
7BravoNext SA11082433,172
8easyJet Airline Company Ltd11446341,602
9Expedia Group, Inc5788317,009
10Southall Travel Ltd5553291,500
11Trailfinders LtdT1458173,957
12Travel Republic Ltd10581165,265
13Truly Travel LtdT7300154,500
14Hays Tour Operating Ltd10531149,724
15Lotus Travel Ltd1479129,450
16Marella Cruises Limited11878125,993
17Virgin Holidays Ltd2358119,911
18Travel Counsellors Ltd6751117,681
19Classic Package Holidays Ltd11517102,132
20Balkan Holidays Ltd25292,100

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