How Boris Johnson’s half-baked coronavirus travel policy wound up uniting the divided airline industry

For once the aviation sector is on the same page with open contempt for a policy that will wreck millions of holidays this summer, writes Simon Calder

A quarantine for arrivals could have a 'devastating' effect on the economy, aviation chiefs have warned (Getty)

“Everybody understands what we are trying to do together.” So said the prime minister as he presented the government’s “Covid-19 recovery strategy” to the House of Commons, triggering a chorus of derision among the bosses of the UK’s airlines and airports.

Britain has by far the best and most competitive aviation industry in Europe, and arguably the world. British Airways faces ferocious short-haul competition from easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair, and takes on Virgin Atlantic and dozens of other carriers on intercontinental routes.

Up to the end of 2019, London was the undisputed air capital of the world. Despite decades of foot-dragging on airport expansion, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton collectively handled over 150 million passengers – far more than New York, Tokyo or Beijing.

This has happened independent of government. The aviation sector has been left alone to flourish. Until 2020, at which point the industry imploded as the coronavirus pandemic shut down global flying.

Fortunately, the main players (Virgin Atlantic excepted) have rock-solid finances. They have been planning a gradual start-up of services in July, ahead of a busy August – the peak month for overseas holidays. The airlines have been getting positive signals from foreign governments about opening up ready for the main summer season. They were expecting to start selling tickets again.

But the government had a different plan: to consign the nation’s airlines and airports to financially punitive purgatory.

It has announced mandatory 14-day self-isolation for almost everyone arriving in the UK. The World Health Organisation does not recommend quarantine when coronavirus cases are in decline.

It is difficult to construct an argument in favour of a policy that will apply overwhelmingly to travellers arriving from less-risky parts of the world, and will consign airlines, airports and inbound tourism to the economic scrapheap. Perhaps that is why the policy has no start date, nor any indication of an exit strategy.

For a prime minister who likes oven-ready policies, this one is barely half-baked. Anyone who feels quarantine is not for them need only divert briefly via France to avoid it.

For once the aviation industry is united: with open contempt for a policy that will wreck millions of holidays this summer and cause grievous harm to one of the UK’s most successful industries.

Yours

Simon Calder

Travel correspondent