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IATA begins breaking down pan-Euro barriers.

Article Excerpt
The International Air Transport Association has begun dismantling the numerous barriers it maintains against tree pan-European travel management. Change is being accelerated under pressure from the European Commission, which has surprised IATA by announcing that its immunity from prosecution for acting as a cartel is likely to end next May.

Among the changes being ushered in are the start of talks on pan-European accreditation for international travel agencies, the scrapping of restrictions on the issuing and settlement of tickets issued via international satellite ticket printers, the removal of all restrictions on storing ticket stock on corporate client premises and commitment to introduce a single bank settlement plan (the equivalent of ARC) for the euro-zone within four years. The STP rule changes and a pan-European BSP actually were agreed upon back in July but have received little or no publicity. Details on the new STP rules were being sent to agents as BTN went to press.

Corporate client and travel agency critics of IATA have greeted the changes as welcome first steps. However, they want to see much more movement before they will be satisfied that IATA is committed fully to removing all obstacles to a single European market for the buying and management of air travel. They...

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