Three biggest airlines in UK have started legal proceedings against the government in a bid to overturn quarantine rules. BA’s owner, IAG, along with Ryanair and EasyJet, have sent a pre-action protocol letter setting out why they believe the moves, which will force air passengers arriving from abroad to self-isolate for 14 days, are illogical and unfair.
Airlines and travel firms have protested in vain against the new Home Office-led regulations, which they have said come months late to stop the transmission of coronavirus and will kill off any nascent recovery in their industries. The airlines’ letter argues that the quarantine measures are more severe than those applied where the risks are greater, and impose greater restrictions on arrivals than on people infected with Covid-19. The airlines also object that enforcement of the regulations as published appears to apply only to England, and people arriving in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland would not face the same penalties.
The letter, the first step in an application for judicial review, was sent last week. A Ryanair spokesperson, commenting on behalf of the three airlines, said: “These measures are disproportionate and unfair on British citizens as well as international visitors arriving in the UK. We urge the government to remove this ineffective visitor quarantine which will have a devastating effect on UK’s tourism industry and will destroy even thousands of jobs in this unprecedented crisis.”
The government has argued that the quarantine rules are science-based and would help limit the risk of a second wave as restrictions on movement are eased. The home secretary, Priti Patel, said: “We all want to return to normal as quickly as possible. But this cannot be at the expense of lives. The science is clear that if we limit the risk of new cases being brought in from abroad, we can help stop a devastating second wave. That is why the measures coming into force are necessary. They will help control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives.”
