2008 is becoming a year of high-profile airline crashes; Guarding against airline collapse.

EVEN before the collapse of EOS, one of the surviving business class airlines on the transatlantic route, 2008 was emerging as a bloodbath of a year for airlines.

High-profile failures so far include Maxjet and Oasis, while five US airlines - Aloha, American Trams Air, Skybus, Skyway and Frontier - have failed within the past month.

While highly-regarded Silverjet continues to seek new funding for its high-quality transatlantic services Continental could be seeking a new partner after the breakdown of talks with United.

The big danger of this turmoil, says the Association of Independent Tour Operators is that the new pounds 1 levy recently introduced by the Government to guard travellers' money offers scant protection against the failure of scheduled airlines when customers book flights by themselves.

The only effective defence says association chairman Derek Mooremay be specific travel insurance against a scheduled airline failure or booking a fully protected package from a specialist tour operator.

"Consumers need better protection and I strongly urge Government to include airlines in the pounds 1 levy," he added.

When they book AITO packages travellers can rest assured that tour operators will take responsibility for any subsequent problem - including the airlines involved - at no extra cost to the holidaymaker.

AITO packages tend to cost more than those in the mainstream market because they are usually provided by smaller companies and tend to offer higher standards. AITO membership is growing, as many travellers are happy to pay the extra.

However, a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents pointed out that member firms continue to offer full protection through the Package Travel Regulations.

ABTA travel agents also offer Schedule Airline Failure Insurance to guard travellers who put their own packages together.

INFORMATION: AITO (0208 744 9280 and www.aito.co.uk); ABTA (0207 637 2444 and www.abta.co.uk)