As the Government is clearly incapable of effectively regulating international travel, BALPA is now demanding a round table discussion with the Transport Secretary, Home Secretary, Chancellor and Prime Minister.

As today’s media again demonstrates, this Government has not only reduced the UK’s international aviation sector to a shadow of its once world beating strength; even at this level the Government’s shameless inability to implement an efficient border system is shocking.

Five hour queues at the border are not the fault of Border Force staff on duty. They are the fault of the Government’s shambolic border rules with wholly overblown and complex requirements for testing and quarantine. These are then made more difficult by complex traffic light systems and a plethora of private sector, rip off, unregulated testing companies.

The Government needs to face up to its inadequacies, demonstrated repeatedly by events on the ground, and sit down with BALPA and other travel industry unions and trade bodies to find a practical, workable way forward.

Acting General Secretary Martin Chalk said:

“The United Kingdom was a great global trading nation, built on a world class aviation industry. Government decisions have seemingly set about destroying the foundations of global Britain by an apparent deliberate undermining of the Aviation industry.

“Unless we can talk some sense into them, at an industry round table conference, we might as well pull up the drawbridge and sink into a box set of Little Britain!”