By Ashley Young-
British Airways boss Willie Walsh says is considering alegal challenge against the government over its quarantine legislation.
The BA owner has said the UK government’s 14-day quarantine rule for incoming travellers, which comes into force on Monday, has “torpedoed plans to start flying July”.
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Willie Walsh, the chief executive of BA’s parent company IAG, told Sky News on Friday that there had been no consultation with the industry prior to the legislation being brought in.
He said: “We think it is irrational, we think it is disproportionate and we are giving consideration to a legal challenge to this legislation.”
Walsh’s comments come after MPs condemned plans by the airline and Willie Walsh, chief executive of BA owner IAG, to axe 12,000 staff and rip up the contracts of those who survive.
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Walsh blames redundancies on a drop in passenger numbers caused by the 14 day quarantine rules.
Willie Walsh has said the UK government’s 14-day quarantine rule for incoming travellers, which comes into force on Monday, has “torpedoed plans to start flying July”.
Wash believes the two week quarantine requirement will put off prospective visitors who ordinarily would have planned to visit the UK for less than 14 days, but consider summer trips pointless if they had to abide by the restrictions imposed by the British government.
Huw Merriman, the Tory chairman of the Commons Transport Committee is pushing for a future parliamentary debate .
He told the House: “BA has tried this before but its workforce resisted. It is ethically outrageous that our national flag carrier is doing this at a time when the nation is at its weakest.”
He said regulator the Civil Aviation Authority should review BA’s entitlement to the prime take-off and landing slots at Heathrow airport. They should instead be given to airlines that “stand by their hard-working and loyal staff,” said Mr Merriman.
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