Travel agents remain the main retail arm of the airline companies. "
Close cooperation between all concerned will increase the momentum to improve the situation for the benefit of all.”

“Unjustified Agents Debit Memos - ADM’s”, added Borg Olivier, “are no less than a locust plague and create serious relationship problems.”

Mr. Borg Olivier was invited to address the most respectable and important audience in the airline industry, among them representatives from airline companies and IATA delegations, who assembled in Geneva last week for the PAConf meeting.

“IATA’s and UFTAA’s collaboration”, said Borg Olivier, “goes back to the early sixties and it is still important to maintain the travel and tourism industry at healthy levels”. “I believe,” he added, “that running on different tracks is not a healthy situation and that discussion and frank, open consultations between travel agents and airlines, ahead of time, pave the way for a more harmonious environment for both sides”

Mr. Borg Olivier expressed his considerable disappointment that IATA had ceased to see UFTAA as an active part of the industry training scheme, and that even the name of UFTAA had been removed from all training material. He also regretted that after longstanding cooperation concerning the IATA/UFTAA ID Card, IATA had unilaterally removed the UFTAA logo from the cards.

The Issue of the ADM’s crisis was also addressed. “The UFTAA board,” the president said “has expressed its indignation at what it sees as an artificially created ADM crisis. We all know the reasons and I ask you to face and tackle the issue head on and to repair it before real harm is done. The ball is now in your court,” reiterated Mr. Borg Olivier, “and I am sure that you are good players who know how to win the game without disabling players in the other team”.

“As for the Travel Agency Commissioner”, the president added, “we, in UFTAA, are reassured by the existence of such an institution. However, useful improvements could be made that would benefit the airlines and the agents - should the PAConf adopt the Travel Agency Arbiter scheme. The TAC will continue to provide an informative and constructive interface and feedback in the daily operation of the Agency Programme”.

The full text of Mr. Borg Olivier could be viewed by visiting the UFTAA website; www.uftaa.travel