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BALPA response to updated travel rules for fully vaccinated EU and US passengers

Responding to the Government decision to allow fully vaccinated passengers from the EU and US into the UK without quarantine, Acting General Secretary Martin Chalk said:

“This welcome news may be too late in the summer to protect the tens of thousands of aviation jobs supported by the furlough scheme.

“We are halfway through the only profitable part of the year – summer – and UK travellers still face huge restrictions in the countries that will allow us in, preventing a real recovery.

“We are rapidly heading towards the cliff edge end of furlough in 8 weeks’ time and as a result, BALPA is in negotiations with airlines to prevent further job losses.

“The Government must extend furlough to support the aviation sector or watch the loss of the jobs, experience and skills that will enable Global Britain to truly take off.”

Notes to editors:

  1. The latest ONS statistics show that 57% of employees in passenger air transport and 51% of those employed by travel agency and tour operators are on furlough, which is formally coming to an end in 8 weeks.
  2. There are over 3,000 redundant UK pilots alongside tens of thousands of staff from the wider aviation industry
  3. Eurocontrol figures from 8 July show that of the top 10 worst affected airports, 4 out of 10 are in the UK (Gatwick, Manchester, Heathrow and Stansted)