British politicians from both sides of the aisle have criticised the Johnson government’s newly-minted quarantine measures, introduced in late May.
The transport select committee stated that it is “not persuaded” the 14-day self-isolation requirement is sound policy, saying it “will further damage both the recovery of the sector and the wider economy”.
“We support a more targeted and nuanced border-control policy that would allow people travelling from countries where the infection rate of [coronavirus] is relatively low to enter the UK on a less restrictive basis,” it stated.
That approach mirrors the “air bridge” concept, an idea that has been floated in recent weeks by industry advocates and UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
Under the plan, routes between the country and those with low infection rates would be exempted from self-isolation measures, in place of what MPs have called a “blanket ban”.
The committee also called for a clear explanation of the policy, hoping to see evidence that was used to support the decision.
“In order to allow the UK aviation industry to plan ahead, the government should urgently update Parliament with detail about the key milestones and conditions that will need to be met for the current quarantine policy to be revised and ultimately ended,” the committee said.
Despite holding to some of the loosest travel restrictions in Europe, the UK’s aviation sector has taken a battering over the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
In an open letter published on Sunday by the Daily Mail, British Airways chief executive Alex Cruz said that the country’s carrier was likely to emerge significantly smaller as a result of the crisis – pointing in part to government policy.
Cruz argues that the government’s decision “to introduce 14-day quarantine for visitors arriving into the UK, without consultation or scientific evidence, has dealt our restart plans a hammer blow”.
“It is irrational to stop people travelling from countries with a lower risk of infection into the UK and to treat those that do come more harshly, under criminal law, than people who actually have COVID-19,” he added.
