Industry warns of job losses as quarantine plans confirmed

Following today’s quarantine update from the home secretary, in which she confirmed the quarantine scheme will go ahead from 8 June, with the first review of measures taking place during the week commencing 28 June, the Business Travel Association’s chief executive Clive Wratten said: "If we leave it until the end of June before getting the first travel corridor in place, be it with Italy, Spain or Portugal, many jobs across the travel industry are at risk of being lost for ever.

"Quarantine crushes the innovation and dynamism that the home secretary applauded today.

"At this desperately difficult time for our industry, she offered no hope to the millions employed across the travel industry and its supply chains."

He added: "All of the country specific criteria required for the implementation of a travel corridor must be published immediately. There must be transparency about why these travel corridors are being delayed."

Chief executive of the Airport Operators Association Karen Dee added: "We are disappointed that the government is pressing ahead with the blanket, untargeted quarantine proposals, as these will have a devastating impact on the aviation sector and the parts of the wider economy which rely heavily on the connectivity we provide, putting jobs at risk as the country attempts to recover from the Covid-19 crisis."

She added though that the association would "work constructively with Border Force and others" to ensure that the policy is implemented in the most sensible and practical way possible.

"Many of our trading partners and countries around the world are adopting a science-led, more risk-based approach as they exit their own quarantine measures now the crisis is abating," continued Dee.

"The concept of ’air bridges’ must be looked at with urgency to allow travel to low-risk countries while protecting the public from high-risk arrivals.

"We urge the government to devote the resource necessary to move to this more targeted, common sense approach to international arrivals as soon as possible – as our competitors are doing.

"As the aviation sector faces yet more uncertainty and reduced traffic numbers, due to the quarantine policy, the chancellor needs to provide further financial and business support to an already struggling sector.

"Another prolonged period with limited to no revenue will damage the sector and hinder the UK’s overall economic recovery."