British Airways plans to challenge British quarantine in court

British Airways is wind up against British government quarantine for travelers arriving in the UK. The airline company, part of the IAG group, plans to take the decision to court.

“We think it is irrational, we think it is disproportionate and we are considering legal action against this legislation”said Willie Walsh, boss of IAG, on Sky News. “We will see this with the lawyers during the day”, according to him.

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“I think there are other airlines doing the same because it should be noted that there has been no consultation with the sector”, he added.

A quarantine that would “torpedo” the resumption of flights

In the wake of these statements, the Irish air carrier Ryanair said it expected to “Support any legal action launched by IAG against this ineffective and unnecessary quarantine”.

Willie Walsh felt that this would “Torpedo” the flight resumption program in July.

After suffering a sudden shutdown of their activity for weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, airlines and tourism businesses hoped to restart thanks to deconfinement.

But their plans are disrupted by the quarantine imposed from Monday on all travelers arriving from abroad to United Kingdom.

Thunderous Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary even described quarantine on Thursday as a measure “Designed by Dominic Cummings for Dominic Cummings”, with reference to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s special advisor, whose displacement during confinement has sparked heated controversy.

British government plans air bridges with certain countries

Sign of tensions between the sector and the government, British Airways, the largest airline in the United Kingdom, refused to participate in a meeting on the subject Thursday with the Minister of the Interior Priti Patel.

The decision of the company displeased the Unite union which judges “Irresponsible” to ignore a meeting supposed to find a way out of the problem, especially as jobs are at stake.

The government is at the same time considering establishing air bridges with some countries, which would prevent many travelers entering the UK from observing quarantine.

According to a study by Survey Monkey published earlier this week, travel and hospitality companies plan to fire up to 60% of their staff if they introduce quarantine.

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