Government 'overseeing the demise of UK aviation'

Leading figures in UK aviation have expressed frustration that the government has still not given backing for Covid-19 testing at airports. The head of Southampton, Aberdeen and Glasgow airports accused ministers of "overseeing the demise of UK aviation". And the bosses of Virgin Atlantic and Heathrow Airport said "leadership" was needed on the testing issue, warning of the huge number of jobs at stake. The Department for Transport said it had given huge support to the sector. The aviation industry sees airport testing as a way for passengers to leave quarantine early, and also help the travel industry get back on its feet after lockdown. Foreign travel was paralysed for several months by the pandemic, with airlines, airports and tour firms shedding thousands of jobs. Derek Provan, CE of AGS Airports, which runs Southampton, Aberdeen and Glasgow, said the sector was seeing more job losses than the demise of the coal industry in the 1980s. "That's surely not an accolade any government would like to have," he said.<br/>