MAG statement following publication of Prime Minister’s winter Covid-19 plan

MAG - the UK’s largest airport group - has issued the following statement in response to the Prime Minister’s winter Covid-19 plan and ahead of the structural review of the government’s traffic light system.

Charlie Cornish, MAG CEO, said: “Throughout the pandemic, our entire industry supported the need for a cautious approach to re-opening international travel.

“However, with each passing day this caution is turning into procrastination, which is restricting people’s freedoms and impacting the UK’s economic recovery from Covid-19.

“People should be free to travel again to low risk destinations without having to take any tests - whether that is PCR or lateral flow. 

“Consumers are understandably frustrated, and often unwilling to pay for needless tests when visiting countries with much lower infection rates than the UK - especially when almost all domestic leisure activities have returned to normality.

“The cost of these tests has made an overseas holiday unaffordable for many families, despite the low risk now associated with international travel.

“Governments across Europe decided months ago there was no need for such restrictions to be in place - that is why travel in these countries is recovering at double the pace of the UK.

“This review of the traffic light system is long overdue, but the time for baby-steps is over. It is no longer acceptable for the UK to be out of step with the rest of Europe, and we must give people back the freedom to travel to safe destinations without the cost and inconvenience of any form of testing.”

ENDS