Responding to the announcement that all international arrivals will need to present a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the UK, Airport Operators Association Chief Executive Karen Dee said:
“The introduction of pre-departure tests is understandable from a public health perspective but the Government has missed an opportunity to further reduce quarantine under the Test-to-Release scheme in England.
“Travel bans introduced before Christmas and the lockdown measures introduced this week mean UK aviation is, once again, effectively closed. This has made devastating situation for UK airports and communities relying on aviation worse.
“Aviation will only fully recover when the need for quarantine is eliminated on a four-nation basis across the UK. Testing, including pre-departure tests, has a crucial role to play in that.
“We urge the Government to work with industry and public health authorities to take further steps on pre-departure and rapid testing as soon as possible to safely remove quarantine altogether. Until that happens, industry cannot recover fully so Government must provide financial support to protect connectivity and its global Britain and levelling-up agendas.”
ENDS
