BA boycotts Government summit over quarantine in row over job losses
British Airways (BA) was embroiled in a furious row with the Government yesterday after boycotting an industry summit with Priti Patel to discuss her quarantine plans.
BA, Britain’s largest airline, failed to turn up amid claims by industry sources that it believed the quarantine to be “unworkable” and economically damaging and the meeting a “waste of time.”
However, Government sources hit back. “It’s a shame that BA don’t want to directly make their case to the Home Secretary and the aviation minister. Clearly they are not serious about working to get Britain moving again,” said one.
BA officially declined to comment.
The row overshadowed the meeting yesterday between Ms Patel, aviation minister Kelly Tolhurst and 24 aviation, maritime and raile bosses to discuss their differences over the quarantine and the prospect for easing the restrictions by introducing “travel corridors” to low-risk countries.
Quarantine, which is due to begin on Monday, will require all international arrivals, including returning Britons, to self-isolate for 14 days but will be reviewed in three weeks during which the aviation industry is pressing for “air bridges” to be introduced.
John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow chief executive, had said before the meeting that quarantine posed “a real existential threat” to the aviation industry which was the “lifeblood” of the UK economy, by carrying 40 per cent of the UK’s exports and supply chain.
“These are real jobs we need to protect. If we don’t have a plan from the Government on how we are going to reopen the economy those jobs are at risk,” said Mr Holland-Kaye, who has backed air bridges.
“So far we have seen warm words about this but we haven’t seen action. Unless we can see that action that gives us confident we won’t be able to take the measures that are needed to get the economy moving and save people’s holidays.
“In those kinds of situations, businesses are at risk of their very existence. We are all running out of cash very quickly. Unless we can see light at the end of the tunnel, we are going to start making decisions to cut capacity, to cut jobs and that will have a devastating impact on livelihoods.”
Ms Patel defended quarantine to the bosses, saying they were necessary to prevent a second wave of coronavirus, and urged them to work together with the Government to “make the new public health measures work, to safeguard our recovery and allow us to move forward more quickly.”
She added: “We’re listening and we want to find solutions together, that’s why we’re here today.” Industry sources said that bosses at IAG, BA’s parent company, were angered by Ms Tolhurst singling out BA over its planned job cuts in the Commons on Wednesday.
BA is planning up to 12,000 redundancies, but is not alone in proposing sweeping changes to their workforce. Virgin Atlantic has announced more than 3,000 job cuts and Ryanair at least 3,000. EasyJet plans to axe up to 4,500 positions.
One senior insider said: "BA has taken their bat and ball home."
George Morgan-Grenville, chief executive of travel company Red Savannah, who is leading a campaign against quarantine by the 500 biggest names in tourism and hospitality, said there was “palpable anger” at the plans which threatened “untold misery” for thousands facing redundancy.
A survey of more than 120 of the businesses found 71 per cent expected to lay off up to 60 per cent of their staff, while more than a quarter (28 per cent) feared they would go bust.
“The Home Secretary seems completely immune to our needs,” he said. “This is a very, very serious situation and we are none the wiser as to the science behind the rationale for quarantine.”
