Heathrow blames UK quarantine rules for ‘grim picture’ facing airport

‘We are exploring a range of options to increase travel underpinned by the evidence shows is safe,’ says the government

Distance learning: the central bus station at Heathrow airport (Simon Calder)

Britain’s busiest airport is blaming the government for prolonging “grim” results of the coronavirus pandemic.

Heathrow airport has reported passenger numbers in May “at an all-time low,” down 97 per cent compared with the same month in 2019.

The west London hub has warned that its employment levels are “no longer sustainable” because of the government’s new policy mandating 14 days of self-isolation for arriving travellers.

“In line with this decline, the airport has begun to restructure its frontline roles, having already cut one-third of managerial roles,” it said in a statement.

Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: “Throughout this crisis, we have tried to protect frontline jobs, but this is no longer sustainable.

“We have now agreed a voluntary severance scheme with our union partners.

“While we cannot rule out further job reductions, we will continue to explore options to minimise the number of job losses.”

The quarantine rules came into effect on 8 June and are initially set to remain in place for a year.

Travellers who do not comply with the rules face a £1,000 fixed penalty, reduced to £480 in Scotland.

A UK government spokesperson said: “It’s important to remember what these measures are all about: protecting public health, avoiding a second peak of this deadly virus and that means managing the risk of cases being imported from abroad.

“We are exploring a range of options to increase travel underpinned by the evidence that shows it is safe, including examining how international travel corridors could safely open up routes.”

These “travel corridors” or “air bridges” are bilateral deals between the UK and key destination countries. They would allow passengers on most international journeys to avoid the quarantine rules, without requiring a government U-turn.

The industry group Quash Quarantine has published an opinion poll on the new measures, in which it says three out of five of the 2,102 respondents are in favour of air bridges.

The group, comprising more than 500 tourism businesses, says only 15 per cent of those polled by AudienceNet think the new measures will work.

Among the 70 per cent expressing an opinion on alternatives to quarantine measures, seven out of 10 said “test and trace” would be a better option for arriving travellers.

George Morgan-Grenville, leader of Quash Quarantine and chief executive of the tour operator, Red Savannah, said: “These figures tell us the true feeling of the UK public about these unworkable and disproportionate quarantine measures.

“It’s staggering that the government seems willing to gamble with people’s livelihoods in the travel and hospitality sector, with apparently little regard for the hundreds of thousands of jobs likely to be lost.”

The government is due to review the quarantine policy on 29 June. At present the Foreign Office warns against all but essential travel abroad.