Adding further travel restrictions increases the need for urgent government support for aviation

The government has announced that prior to being allowed to fly to the UK, visitors will have to receive a negative COVID test.

 

The new rules are likely to have a further impact on visitor numbers which will reduce income in the sector.

General Secretary of Prospect Mike Clancy, said:

“Making a negative COVID test a pre-requisite for travel to the UK is understandable and should probably have been introduced earlier. But further restrictions, along with the lockdown, will mean another period of very low demand for the aviation industry. This is an industry which has already seen its income devastated by the pandemic.

“The aviation sector as a whole is necessary for our economic recovery, without more government support this period of restrictions could have a profound impact on its viability in future. We need immediate targeted support for the whole sector to get through this period and it must cover everyone – airports, air traffic control, and the supply chain as well as airlines.

“Once we are through this period it is also essential that we have in place a testing regime easily accessible to passengers and that our government leads international efforts to develop a vaccine ‘passport’ system. This will mean the sector can bounce back as soon as possible, something which will be key to driving the whole economic recovery after the pandemic.”