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Airlines and airports have warned that international travel could be effectively phased out under government plans to introduce a 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving in the UK.
The transportation secretary, Grant Shapps, is expected to set the plan up Saturday afternoon at the Downing Street daily press conference as part of a strategy for “phase II” of the coronavirus crisis.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce a minor lift of the shutdown measures in a speech to the nation on Sunday night, but the quid pro quo to ease UK restrictions will be tighter border control.
Shapps is expected to say that arrivals in the UK, including British citizens, should notify authorities of the address where they intend to isolate themselves for 14 days.
The police would have the power to verify that they were observing quarantine restrictions. Downing Street declined to comment, but airlines expect to receive information on the details of the proposals on Sunday.
In recent days, industry figures have increased their warnings about the damage the quarantine plan would have to the sector, and airlines said they would eliminate most flights in such circumstances.
“They are about to deal a fatal blow to the aviation industry,” said an executive at one of the UK’s major airports.
“This is coming after two weeks of huge redundancies across the industry. There is real frustration and anger throughout the industry. We wonder if they don’t understand the importance of the aviation sector. “
On Thursday Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG, the parent of British Airways, said it would not restart the flight if the UK imposed a 14-day quarantine on passengers arriving in the country.
“If there is a 14-day quarantine, I wouldn’t expect us to be flying in that situation, or very little,” Walsh said. He added that he could not see “an environment in which people want to fly to the UK if they are forced to quarantine for 14 days.”
Airlines UK’s Tim Alderslade said the government would have to introduce financial support measures if it went ahead with the quarantine measures “so that we still have a UK aviation sector once the quarantine period is lifted.”
He added: “We need to see the detail of what they are proposing. Public health must, of course, be the priority and we will continue to be guided by the advice of Sage (the government’s scientific advisory group on emergencies).
“We will ask for assurances that this decision has been led by science and that the government has a credible exit plan, with weekly reviews to ensure that the restrictions work and are still necessary.”
The airline industry is looking to take advantage of an extension of the government’s licensing plan, expected to shrink beyond the end of June, along with a holiday for air passenger service and other charges.
The quarantine would come just as airlines are tentatively considering flying in the coming months after seeing their fleets land after blockades and travel restrictions around the world.
Wizz Air has already started some flights from London Luton airport, while Ryanair and IAG have indicated that they could resume some flights from July.
The Airport Operators Association, the UK’s trade body for airports, warned on Friday that the move would not only have a devastating impact on the UK aviation industry, but also on the UK economy.
“Aviation is a facilitator for many other industries, such as manufacturers, tourism, and the hospitality industry. If the government believes quarantine is medically necessary, then it must be applied selectively following science, there must be a clear exit strategy, and the economic impact in key sectors must be mitigated, “said Karen Dee, executive director of AOA.
He added: “Airports have done everything possible to stay open during this crisis to provide vital services to communities, from facilitating loading and repatriations to air ambulance, police, Royal Mail and HM Coastguard services, but they cannot survive a period prolonged without passengers that would be the result of quarantine measures. ”
Unlike many countries, Britain has kept its borders open during the coronavirus crisis. Patrick Vallance, senior scientific adviser, said this week that this had allowed the disease to be “planted” across the country as people returned from Covid-19 hot spots.
However, as Britain develops plans to end the blockade, and as cases shrink to a manageable level, border controls and quarantine measures rejected at the start of the outbreak will be introduced.
Johnson will confirm a moderate relaxation of the restrictions on Sunday, including the possibility of people exercising unlimited and the reopening of garden centers. But most of the restrictions will remain in effect until at least the end of May.
The Department of Transportation said: “We are investing in ports across the country to increase capacity and help build resilience, while continuing to work closely with operators in the strait.”
Shapps has been talking to his counterparts in France and Ireland to maintain the flow of cargo during the coronavirus crisis.
