LONDON (Reuters) – The British government said on Saturday that it would provide financial assistance to airports before the end of March, after the industry urgently requested support as stricter COVID-19 rules for international travelers begin on Monday.
Aviation Minister Robert Courts said the government would launch a new support program this month.
“The support scheme for airports and ground industries will help airports reduce their costs and we will strive to grant grants before the end of this financial year,” he announced on social media, adding that more details will follow soon.
From 04:00 GMT on Monday, all travelers to Britain must undergo a recent negative COVID-19 test and be prepared to be quarantined for ten days upon arrival at home.
Britain’s current shutdowns prohibit most international travel, meaning airline schedules are currently minimal. But withdrawing from any trip without quarantine will be a further blow to the industry.
The latest constraints were cited in part by a third wave of the disease that caused a record daily in Britain, as well as concerns about a new coronavirus variant being discovered in Brazil.
London’s second-largest airport, Gatwick, said support would help keep jobs at a time when passenger numbers had fallen sharply.
Karen Dee, chief executive of the British Airport Operators’ Association, said before the announcement that the government should go beyond existing aid which includes a temporary exemption from local property taxes.
Relieving costs for regulation, policing and air traffic lines will help, she added.
Courts cite no support for airlines, which benefited from further government programs but received little direct assistance.
Tim Alderslade, chief operating officer of Airlines UK, has called for the travel rules to be relaxed by Easter before the peak spring and summer holiday period.
“Airlines have done business by incurring billions of pounds of debt to be repaid,” he said.
Reporting by David Milliken; Edited by Frances Kerry and Dan Grebler