BA settles quarantine suit with UK government

British Airways parent IAG settled a dispute with the UK over a policy to force visitors to self-isolate for 14 days, agreeing to withdraw the London litigation when the government updated its plan Friday. The agreement came together just four hours after proceedings began in London’s High Court. BA attorney Tom Hickman said the carrier agreed to drop its action with the release of the official guidance. The quarantine was introduced in early June to guard against a resurgence in coronavirus cases as lockdowns eased. But just before the court hearing began, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the UK would scrap the requirements for people arriving from more than 50 countries, and the plan was released around 3 p.m. The original approach had been criticized by airlines and holiday firms. At Friday’s hearing, the airlines said the government’s own scientific adviser, Professor John Aston, noted that compulsory isolation should only be imposed “on people arriving from countries that have a higher prevalence” of coronavirus.<br/>