Air bridges WILL be brought in within weeks to save the airline industry from quarantine obliteration as it emerges just 23 people used Gatwick in a day
- The air bridges plan will allow people to travel between UK and certain nations
- It is expected to be put in place from June 29, boosting summer holiday hopes
- From Monday, anyone arriving in Britain will have to self-isolate for a fortnight
Air bridges between Britain and countries with low rates of coronavirus infections are likely to be introduced by the end of June to save the airline industry from collapse.
From next Monday, arrivals to the country will have to isolate for a fortnight, with the blanket ban causing outrage.
However, the government is planning to ease these measures within weeks to avoid economic devastation, as it emerged that just 23 people used Gatwick Airport in an entire day last week – down from its pre-covid average of 45,000.
The air bridges plan will boost hopes of summer holidays for Britons as the nation aims to get back to normal after months of lockdown.
Under it, people will be able to travel between Britain and low infection rate countries without needing to quarantine after landing.
Ministers will use a five-point assessment to judge which countries could be prioritised for the agreements.
Those points will weigh up the economic importance of the country to the UK, the number of passengers and levels of trade, the infection rate and the level of health screening at departure airports.
A country’s R rate of infection is likely to be the key factor in whether an air bridge agreement is considered.
Just 23 people used Gatwick Airport in an entire day last week – down from its pre-covid average of 45,000
The air bridges plan will boost hopes of summer holidays for Britons as the nation aims to get back to normal after months of lockdown
The news comes as MPs urged the government to rethink the 14-day quarantine to avoid killing off the airline industry.
Spanish government take court action against 17 airlines including easyJet and Ryanair over coronavirus refunds
The Spanish government has promised court action against at least 17 airlines including easyJet and Ryanair over their customer refund practices following the Covid-19 outbreak.
The budget airlines are among those who have come in for huge criticism over the way they have promoted free flight switches and vouchers ahead of cash refunds and the time they have taken to give people who insist on refunds their money back.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs will name easyJet and Ryanair in its complaint.
The other airlines have been identified as Air Europa; Air France; Binter Canarias; Eurowings; Iberia (Iberia Express and Air Nostrum; Jet2; KLM; Latam Airlines; Lufthansa; Scandinavian Airlines (SAS); Transavia; Thomson Airways (TUI); United Airlines; Volotea and Wizzair.
Tory MP Henry Smith, whose Crawley constituency covers Gatwick, said low passengers at the airport last week highlighted the scale of the problem.
He said: ‘It’s well-intentioned but it hasn’t been thought through.
‘It sounds good, to stop people at the borders so we don’t get re-infections of Covid-19. But I don’t think it is going to be a benefit to public health and will prolong the economic damage.’
Travel industry experts say quarantine,will cost Britain’s tourism sector as much as £15billion if it is maintained throughout the summer.
Under the plans, people arriving in the UK from Britain, including citizens returning from abroad, will have to self-isolate for two weeks.
Spot checks will be carried out on addresses and fines of £1,000 could be imposed on people breaking the rules.
Like the wider lockdown measures, the plans will be reviewed every three weeks.
However, the government has admitted that the plans could be replaced by air bridges soon after.
Yesterday, sources told The Times could be implemented by June 29.
The government was looking at this ‘very seriously; as things stand they will happen, likely on 29 June,’ one source said.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, is thought to remain sceptical.
Travel companies are offering up to 65 per cent off summer holidays – but tourism experts are warning Britons the trips may not end up going ahead.
The bargain packages are being advertised on booking sites for as early as July in a bid to salvage the season.
It came as last night the holiday dreams of millions of Britons were given a boost after Portugal and Greece said they were ready to welcome back UK tourists within days.
Tui, Britain’s biggest tour operator, is cutting three nights all-inclusive at the TUI SUNEO Odessos in Bulgaria on July 10 from £543 per person to £296. And a seven-night trip to Gran Canaria on July 6 has been slashed from £606 to £394.
Travel Zoo is offering two nights in Paris in September for £79 – up to 64 per cent cheaper than usual.
And easyJet Holidays is selling a week-long stay at Anseli Hotel in Rhodes from July 8 for £195 with flights and transfers.
But experts have warned desperate Britons to hold off booking for now.
The Foreign Office still advises against all but essential travel and there will be a two-week quarantine for returning holidaymakers from June 8.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘If consumers are keen to book something now they should go into it with their eyes open.
Research by TUI revealed the most popular destinations for trips this year are Spain, Greece and Italy followed by Florida and the Caribbean
‘If the FCO advice is still in place when their holiday is due to take place, they will get a refund, but there’s a good chance they will be waiting a long time.
‘Holiday providers need to make it clear to their customers that these holidays may not take place.’
The UK quarantine will be reviewed every three weeks. TUI spokesman Liz Edwards said they hope it will be lifted on June 29 in time for summer trips.
She added: ‘We believe we will be having summer holidays this year, hopefully from July. We hope the quarantine will be lifted, but air bridges are certainly a possibility.
‘Bookings have been really picking up. Spain, Greece, Cyprus are likely to open up first. The Canaries and Balearics are keen to welcome back tourists.’
Tui are among the travel companies cutting the prices of their summer holidays despite the Foreign Office warning people against all but essential travel
Airlines are also heavily discounting flights. A Heathrow to Cancun return with Air France in September, which usually sells for around £800, is being advertised for £312.
And return flights from Manchester to Reykjavik with easyJet in November are being sold for £41 (usually £150 plus), and Manchester to Dubrovnik with Jet2 from £30 one-way in late June (usually around £120).
Emma Coulthurst, from TravelSupermarket, said: ‘The 14-day quarantine measure makes holidays pretty impractical, although I have heard of some people willing to do it to get a holiday. There is a risk booking now as there is no guarantee the holiday will go ahead.’
Research by TUI revealed the most popular destinations for trips this year are Spain, Greece and Italy followed by Florida and the Caribbean.
And those hoping to go to Greece or Portugal this summer could still get the chance.
Officials in Lisbon believe Britain has coronavirus ‘under control’ and want quarantine-free travel between the two countries to restart from this Saturday.
Greece’s tourism minister Harry Theocharis told the Mail the epidemic was moving ‘in the right direction’ in the UK and restrictions could be dropped for Britons from June 15.
Officials in Lisbon believe Britain has coronavirus ‘under control’ and want quarantine-free travel between the two countries to restart from this Saturday. Pictured: Beach-goers social distancing in Praia de Rainha, Portugal
The interventions increased pressure on Downing Street to re-think its plan for a ‘blanket’ 14-day quarantine amid a growing backlash from MPs at being denied a vote on the measures.
Home Secretary Priti Patel will today introduce the regulations in Parliament to come into effect from next Monday.
But they will be brought as a statutory instrument, which does not automatically go to a vote.
Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured) will today introduce the regulations in Parliament to come into effect from next Monday
Under the plans, anyone entering the country by plane, train or boat will have to go into quarantine for two weeks.
This will apply to foreign tourists as well as Britons returning from abroad.
However, some people, including medical professionals and lorry drivers, will be exempt.
MPs among a cross-party group of at least 40 who are critical of the plans last night voiced their fury.
They want the Government to leave open the option of creating ‘air bridges’ – which would allow tourists between two countries to visit without needing to quarantine – to salvage as much of the summer holiday season as possible and help keep the hard-hit tourism industry afloat.
They say, instead of quarantine, arrivals to the UK could be subject to health checks or testing.
Industry chiefs say millions of Britons are desperate for a foreign getaway, but the blanket quarantine policy has all but cancelled summer holidays.
Former Cabinet minister David Davis said: ‘Parliament should be properly involved and quite plainly it is not. In this particular case, its very blanket policy could reasonably be amended in a number of ways.
A group of MPs want the Government to leave open the option of creating ‘air bridges’ – which would allow tourists between two countries to visit without needing to quarantine – to salvage as much of the summer holiday season as possible. Pictured: Young women walk by a Covid-19 warning sign in Praia de Rainha, Portugal
The MPs say, instead of quarantine, arrivals to the UK could be subject to health checks or testing. Pictured: An employee wearing a protective mask walks on the beach of the Divani Apollon Palace hotel, on the first day of the opening of hotels in Greece
‘For example, our death rate is many, many times than that in Greece. So the idea of quarantining someone coming from Greece who would have a much lower risk of suffering from the disease than someone anywhere else in Britain is plainly not supported by any sort of science.
‘The idea of putting in air bridges might be a sensible amendment.’
Former environment secretary Theresa Villiers said: ‘I would very much prefer the quarantine rules be targeted on flights from Covid hotspots.
‘I appreciate why the Government is bringing in quarantine but I do think that applying it in a blanket way across the board is an over-reaction.’
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said: ‘I hope the Government will move swiftly to introduce air bridges and also to introduce a testing regime at airports as quickly as possible.’
Downing Street last night insisted it still intended to push ahead with the policy.
It has stressed quarantine will be reviewed every three weeks and has left open the possibility of striking air bridge deals in future.
But the first review period would not be until June 29.
Source: Read Full Article