LONDON (Reuters) – New British Airways chief says vaccinated people should be allowed to travel without restrictions and unvaccinated people with a negative COVID-19 test, as he set out his ideas for a month’s resumption of travel before the British government finalizes plans.
Holidays will not be allowed until May 17, the government said, but before that, on April 12, the UK will announce how and when non-essential travel to and from the country can resume.
Sean Doyle, appointed BA chief executive in October last year, called on the UK to work with other governments to allow vaccines and health applications to open the way, after a year in which the minimum flight left many airlines alive. .
“I think people who have been vaccinated should be able to travel without restrictions. Those who have not been vaccinated should be able to travel with a negative test result, ”he said.
Doyle said the launch of the vaccines made BA optimistic will return this summer, but added that the recovery depends on what is said on April 12.
He wants the government to support health applications that can be used to check the negative results of the COVID-19 test and a person’s vaccination status.
Applications will be key to facilitating large-scale travel, the industry said. The staff of the airline that verifies the documents takes 20 minutes per passenger and it is not practical if a large number of passengers return.
The UK has rapidly launched vaccinations and 44% of the adult population, most people over the age of 60, have now received the first vaccine.
The government has said that any return to travel must be fair and not unduly disadvantage those who have not been vaccinated.
Doyle expects the UK to bring a multi-level framework, with destinations placed in risk-based categories, and this will determine BA’s summer program.
Beyond saying that there is “a huge demand held”, Doyle refused to predict how strong the season could be.
Budget rival Ryanair, the largest airline in Europe, said it hopes to fly up to 70% of passenger numbers by 2019 this summer.
BA has reached an agreement with a test kit provider, offering passengers £ 33 ($ 46) to take tests abroad.
Travel commentators expect most European airlines to focus on short-haul leisure routes this summer, and Doyle noted that France, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus and Spain all sounded positive about welcoming British tourists.
But he said BA was looking even further.
“We’re already looking at new summer destinations that we haven’t flown before and that could be both long-haul and short-haul,” Doyle said.
($ 1 = £ 0.7196)
Reported by Sarah Young. Edited by Mark Potter