A system should be adopted for air travel that would provide customers vouchers instead of money for cancelled flights, said Latvian Transport Minister Talis Linkaits during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
On April 21, the government supported Economy Ministry’s position in talks with European Union (EU) representatives that during the crisis caused by COVID-19 coronavirus tourism operators should be allowed to issue vouchers to customers, not immediately pay out refunds for cancelled trips.
Linkaits voiced support to Economy Ministry’s position, saying it was very hard at the moment to compensate customers for cancelled trips.
At the same time, the transport minister admits the air transport industry is in a similar situation, when passengers want to recover money for cancelled flights, but airlines do not have the money to afford that.
“If we secure a single position with the EU on the tourism matter, we will be able to lobby a voucher system for air transport industry in a similar way,” said Linkaits. (BNN/Business World Magazine)