MP's call over collapsed airline

A West Midlands MP is calling for a legislation review following the collapse of a Birmingham-based low-cost airline.

Duo Airways Limited went into administration on Saturday putting 300 jobs at risk and leaving passengers stranded.

Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Perry Barr, plans to take the matter up with the Office of Fair Trading.

He said a lot of people had been let down.

'Lose rights'

People due to return to the UK with the airline, or who were scheduled to fly from Birmingham or Edinburgh, have been forced to make alternative arrangements

Duo said its customers were "unlikely" to be protected by Atol (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing), the scheme set up to protect the public from losing money or being stranded abroad when travel firms go bust.

Mr Mahmood said: "We need to get the Office of Fair Trading to look into the whole practice and to make sure that help is available to people that lose their rights when travelling abroad.

"But more importantly, when they are stuck out there, how we can ensure they are not affected by a loss of rights to come back."

Operations suspended

Duo, whose headquarters are in Coventry Road, Birmingham, started operating in June 2003.

It offered flights from Birmingham International Airport and Edinburgh Airport to northern Europe and Scandinavia.

But the company suspended all operations at 0001 BST on Saturday and called in administrators Deloitte and Touche.

It blamed the collapse of its business on a failure to secure extra investment.

Customers requiring information should call the helpline number 0121 743 9090 for assistance.