Strict UK Travel Policies Dampen Hopes for Airlines, Private Jets Benefit
The coming of cold breezes in the month of November usually mark the onset of holiday season for the Britons. Due to the new UK travel policies, all non-essential travel by private or public transport has now been restricted. Since holidaying away from primary residences won’t be permitted till at least December 2, the future of the aviation industry seems to be hanging in the dark.
The advent of November is usually marked with cold breezes and shorter days in the United Kingdom. Although some flights (British airways, EasyJet and Ryanair) will still be running for business travel, only 30 percent of November’s former schedules will be run. Consequently, the international travel bans will lead to thousands more job losses and even completely end several travel agents and holiday firms in the UK.UK Travel Rule
As per the Chief Executive of a travel association Abta — Mark Tanzer, “The announcement that holidays in the UK and abroad will not be allowed under lockdown in England will mean a complete shut down for travel businesses which have already been severely damaged by the pandemic.”
After the announcement of this decision, Manchester Airports Group CEO Charlie Cornish expressed his disappointment with the government which had “neglected UK aviation”.
Despite challenging UK travel policies, the demand for private jets remains high. As per the biggest aircraft charter firm — Air Partner, there has been a sharp rise in private jet bookings outside the UK. The operators claim that the moderately wealthy people are opting for private jets after the modified UK travel policies due to safety concerns. Most flights booked for the month of November are by business owners and executives, who had already planned to execute some important arrangements before the lockdown was announced.
The travel bans are problematic specially for those UK residents who had left for some international trips before the lockdown was announced. The cancellation of booked flights would not only affect the airlines’ revenue but also impact the jobs of millions of people working in the travel industry.
