Heapy slams 'lack of clarity' as Jet2 cancellations extended
Tom ParryJet2.com and Jet2holidays boss Steve Heapy has blasted the government’s Global Travel Taskforce framework, voicing his disappointment over a “lack of clarity and detail”.
The operator and sister airline have suspended restarts until 24 June following the publication of the eagerly anticipated report on Friday (9 April).
Heapy said despite the taskforce having weeks to explore how to restart international travel, he believed its findings lacked “rigorous detail” and described its proposed policies as “virtually the same as six months ago”.
“Following the publication of the framework today, we still do not know when we can start to fly, where we can fly to and the availability and cost of testing. Rather than answering questions, the framework leaves everyone asking more,” he said.
“We know how much our customers want to get away to enjoy their well-deserved holidays. We have seen buoyant confidence levels from UK holidaymakers… we are trying to run a business so that we can take customers away, but we need the government to provide us with clarity to achieve this.”
Heapy said due to the “continued uncertainty” provided by the taskforce framework, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays had chosen to extend their suspensions of operations until 24 June.
“Unlike many other companies, we will refund customers if they want their money back and we will not force them to accept refund credit notes,” he added.
“It has been over a year since international travel was first suspended because of the pandemic. Much has been achieved in that time, making it even more frustrating that we are still to receive a clear framework on how to restart international travel. We know it can be done, in a safe and secure way, and we will continue to support the government to achieve this.
“The health and safety of our customers and colleagues will of course continue to be our number one priority, and we look forward to taking our customers on their well-deserved holidays once again. We welcome the government’s ambition to reopen travel, however the time has come for the industry to receive the necessary detail to make this happen.”
More on the Global Travel Taskforce report
- Global Travel Taskforce sets out plans to restart travel from May
- Shapps: 'I'm no longer advising people against booking holidays'
- Govt to reveal destinations’ traffic light status ’by early May’
- CAA to be given greater enforcement powers to act on airlines
- Covid testing costs for travellers could be cut under taskforce plans
- Abta welcomes 'ambitious but imperfect' taskforce report
- 'It's the closest thing we've had to an honest and coherent policy on travel'
- 'GTT gives reasons to be positive – but testing costs must come down'
- Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief Heapy slams 'lack of clarity' in taskforce report
- High price of PCR tests for Covid-19 in UK vs Europe exposed in new study
- Taskforce report 'another hammer blow' for business travel sector
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