Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the use of enforcement powers by the Civil Aviation Authority in relation to cases of airline passengers being denied boarding due to overbooking.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is an independent regulator and is responsible for deciding how to use its enforcement powers. It considers intelligence about potential breaches, including cases involving denied boarding due to overbooking, and prioritises enforcement activity in line with its published prioritisation principles.

The Government is strengthening the CAA’s consumer enforcement powers through the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill, including by giving it powers to impose financial penalties.