Ryanair, Easyjet and British Airways wrote to the government’s top legal officer on Friday urging for the withdrawal of the new mandatory quarantine measures, effective from today (8 June), that will require UK arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days.

In the pre-action protocol letter signed by the three UK airlines, it warned that the measures, put in place by the government to prevent a second wave of coronavirus (Covid-19), will have “a devastating effect” on the UK tourism industry and will destroy thousands more jobs.

A spokesman for Ryanair, commenting on behalf of British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair, said:

“The pre-action protocol letter sent on Friday was signed by British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair. These measures are disproportionate and unfair on British citizens as well as international visitors arriving in the UK.

“We challenge the UK Govt on a number of defective measures, including (i) the fact the this quarantine is more stringent than the guidelines applied to people who actually have Covid-19, (ii) that if you live in Scotland to date the rules won’t apply, (iii) that, for example, if you are a French or German worker commuting weekly to the UK you will be exempted, and (iv) that the UK Govt is banning people from countries with lower R rates than the UK.

“We urge the UK Govt to remove this ineffective visitor quarantine which will have a devastating effect on UK’s tourism industry and will destroy (even more) thousands of jobs in this unprecedented crisis”.

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