Airlines UK has put forth its concerns regarding the sector to the prime minister seeking immediate support. Airlines UK is the trade body for UK- registered airlines. It includes Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, British Airways, Tui and Ryanair, media reports said.
The letter to the prime minister reads, “Our industry is in crisis. This year we expect to carry passenger numbers not seen since the 1990s, a simply unsustainable situation. A recovery to 2019 levels is not expected for at least four years and as a result, UK airlines alone have announced or begun consulting on over 30,000 job losses. Many thousands more are under threat across their supply chain.
“With 79 percent of international visitors to the UK arriving by air, we play a vital role in supporting half a million jobs across leisure, retail, hospitality and entertainment. Our cities, high streets and world-class attractions will simply not recover until they return. We are an island and there’s no option but to fly.”
More than 30 countries have adopted Covid-19 testing and half the world’s busiest airports have effective measures in place. Although the sector is slowly recovering from the pandemic, a lot has changed in the last few months.