Airline industry bodies have warned the government that a compulsory 14-day quarantine on people travelling into the UK – expected to be announced on Sunday – could cripple the industry.
The measures will reportedly see travellers instructed to provide an address at which they will quarantine, with heavy fines among punishments for anyone found breaking the rule.
A spokesperson for Airlines UK, which represents airlines including British Airways and EasyJet, said the measure would “kill international travel” to the UK.
Karen Dee, the chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, said it would “not only have a devastating impact on the UK aviation industry, but also on the wider economy”.
The Times newspaper, which first reported the proposal, said the aim was to avoid a second surge of coronavirus. Critics say the measure is only effective when the destination country has a very low number of domestic cases. Britain currently has the highest number of daily cases in Europe.
The measures are reportedly likely to come into effect in early June.
