UK trade association ASAAS ceases activity

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Difficulty retaining its membership has forced the Association of Suppliers to Airlines Airports & Shipping to cease operations

The Association of Suppliers to Airlines Airports & Shipping (ASAAS) ceased operations on April 30 after 20 years representing the trade.

Established in 1983, ASAAS was set up to protect the interests of suppliers and their agents engaged in selling consumer goods to the duty- and tax-free trade in the UK and overseas. The association was also instrumental in the creation of the Tax Free World Exhibition.

ASAAS was also the legal entity used to form the Duty Free Confederation (DFC) in the UK and its European  counterpart in Brussels, the International Duty Free Confederation (IDFC) to fight for intra-EU duty-free after January 1993.

ASAAS said: ?Since 1999 ASAAS has had difficulty in retaining and recruiting members, mainly because of the increasing consolidation of supplier companies and the industry's need for a more international lobbying organisation, coupled with the lack of major tangible issues to unite the common interest of its members.

With recent declining membership the members considered the Association was losing its appeal and ability to act as an effective force. The decision to cease operations was taken by its members at a meeting in January this year.