UK Civil Aviation Authority publishes ATOL September renewal figures

A total of 1,612 businesses in the travel sector are currently licensed under the ATOL scheme according to new figures released by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

The regulator, which oversees the financial protection scheme for flight-inclusive  package holidays, has published the figures following its completion of the September 2025 ATOL licence renewal.

Of the 1,035 ATOL licences that expired on 30 September 2025, 934 have been renewed, with a further 45 still in the application process or yet to meet licence conditions.

The latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority show that 20 million travelled passengers have enjoyed an ATOL protected holiday this year (up until the end of August 2025) an increase of almost 1.1m passengers on the previous year.

Jet2, TUI, We Love Holidays, easyJet Holidays and On the Beach are the current five largest licence holders by authorised passengers. The latest top 10 ATOL holders report is available on the UK Civil Aviation Authority website.

Michael Budge, Head of ATOL at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

“The continued growth in ATOL protected holidays shows that travel remains a key priority for UK consumers. It also reinforces the value people place on financial protection and peace of mind when booking their trips.

“ATOL plays a vital role in safeguarding travellers, and we encourage businesses to engage early with the renewal process to ensure they can continue offering protected holidays without disruption. Businesses that fail to allow reasonable time to apply by the deadline risk being unable to take ATOL protected bookings.”

Notes to editor

Travel companies with ATOLs must renew their licences each year, either in September or March.

The ATOL scheme offers financial protection for British holidaymakers when they book a package trip that includes a flight.  The scheme steps in to protect passengers if their holiday company ceases to trade, assisting them to get home if they are already aboard or allowing them to make a claim for a refund if they are yet to travel.