The Airport Operators Association (AOA) Chief Executive, Karen Dee, has spoken out following the UK Prime Minister’s update on the Global Travel Taskforce on Monday 5 April.
Boris Johnson’s announcement threw summer holiday plans into disarray by delaying for another month the decision on when international travel can resume following the latest coronavirus lockdown. The uncertainty over travel restrictions also means that tens of thousands of jobs within the aviation and travel industry remain at risk.
“It is disappointed that the initial update from the Prime Minister continues to suggest significant barriers to international travel and may push back the date of restart beyond 17 May,” said Dee.
“While a new green category with no isolation requirement on return to the UK is very welcome, potentially costly and onerous testing requirements would limit the possibilities for many people to travel to countries in the green category.”
Adding that she looked forward to further details on the Global Travel Taskforce’s report on 12 April, Dee urged the Government “to scrutinise the evidence provided by industry, health experts and others that set out how a risk-based, proportionate system could open up aviation without quarantine and with affordable, rapid testing.
“Any prolonged closure of UK airports’ key destinations in Europe in particular will have major financial impacts that the Government will need to mitigate.”
