LONDON (Reuters) – The British government said on Saturday it would provide financial assistance to airports before the end of March, after the industry called for urgent support for stricter COVID-19 rules for international travelers to begin on Monday.
Aviation Minister Robert Courts said the government would launch a new support program this month.
“The support scheme for airport and ground operations will help airports reduce their costs and we will aim to provide subsidies before the end of this year,” he announced on social media, adding that more would follow soon. details.
From 04:00 GMT on Monday, all travelers to the UK must take a recent negative test of COVID-19 and be prepared to quarantine at home for 10 days on arrival.
Britain’s current closures ban most international travel, meaning airlines ’schedules are currently minimal. But the withdrawal of any trip without quarantine will once again be for the industry.
The latest restrictions were caused, in part, by a third wave of the disease that caused record daily death tolls in Britain, as well as concern over a new variant of the coronavirus discovered in Brazil.
London’s second airport, Gatwick, said the support would help preserve jobs at a time when it had suffered a major reduction in passenger numbers.
Karen Dee, chief executive of the British Airport Operators Association, said ahead of the announcement that the government should go beyond existing support which includes a temporary exemption from local property taxes.
It helped free itself from regulatory, police and air traffic control costs.
The courts did not mention any support for the airlines, which have benefited from general government programs, but have received little direct assistance.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of the Airlines UK industry body, called for plans to relax travel rules before Easter, ahead of the peak spring and summer holiday period.
“Airlines have kept business taking on billions of pounds of debt that will have to be repaid,” he said.
Report by David Milliken; Edited by Frances Kerry and Dan Grebler