Quarantine: Airports demand nuanced approach to self-isolation rules for travellers

As holidaymakers and the travel industry anxiously wait to see whether the UK government will impose mandatory self-isolation on all arrivals from France, airports are demanding a nuanced quarantine policy. At present, the DfT rates each country either as low-risk or high-risk for travellers bringing back coronavirus. There is no differentiation between regions within a nation, which is causing mounting unhappiness for airlines, tour operators and travellers with exiting bookings – particularly for Spain and Portugal, whose islands have seen low levels of coronavirus infections. Karen Dee, CE of the Airport Operators Association, has called for Spain’s islands to have the quarantine restrictions lifted – saying it “risks further damaging the fragile re-start of the aviation sector”. Dee said: “These islands demonstrate that a blanket quarantine policy is not fit for purpose with the clearest example being the inclusion of Lanzarote, which as well as having low infection rates, is over 600 miles from the Iberian peninsula.” The Balearic and Canary Islands normally account for 27% of flights from airports outside the London area. From the capital’s airports, the figure is 15%. Dee warned: “Despite the valiant efforts of airports, airlines and travel companies passenger numbers remain low and our industry remains in a very precarious situation. With passenger numbers not predicted to return to pre-Covid levels before 2023 at the earliest, we face a very long and dangerous road to recovery.”<br/>