CAA ATOL Licences
ATOLs in the UK typically run from 1st October to 30 September - if a leisure based airline can't satisfy the CAA in late September, the company has to cease trading, and the CAA then ends up with having to organise repatriataion for the all the holidaymakers abroad
I'm curious as to why the annual cycle begins at 1st October and not 1st November. European beaches in October may not be as busy as August, but there's still plenty of Brits on holiday during October in southern Europe - particularly over half term - which adds up to a big bill if the CAA has to charter aircraft to bring them home.
Why not instead make the annual ATOL licencing cycle start on 1st November, when the summer holiday season really comes to a close ?