The aviation has been "devastated" by the coronavirus pandemic and very much welcomes airbridges when countries gradually reopen, Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kaye told Sky News on the heels of the United Kingdom ending quarantine rules for travelers from dozens of countries
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2020) The aviation has been "devastated" by the coronavirus pandemic and very much welcomes airbridges when countries gradually reopen, Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kaye told Sky news on the heels of the United Kingdom ending quarantine rules for travelers from dozens of countries.
Starting Friday, the UK lifts 14-day quarantine requirements for travelers from more than 70 countries and British Overseas Territories.
"The aviation has almost been devastated by the pandemic. The passenger numbers fell by 97 percent in the second quarter of the year," Holland-Kaye said.
The UK opening up to travelers from so many countries is therefore "a really welcome decision," the Heathrow Airport CEO added, noting that the aviation is not only about people going to holiday, it is also about "vital trading routes around the world."
Holland-Kaye expressed hope that more low-risk countries will be included in the UK's next review by the end of the month.
He also stressed the need to think how the country is going to "connect with some of our really important trading partners, such as the US." Though the US is considered "high-risk" as a nation, some parts of the country are "low-risk," and "hundreds of millions of people in the United States don't have the disease at all," according to Holland-Kaye.
"The sooner we can get those long haul international markets reopen, the sooner we can start to get the economy back and protect jobs right across the United Kingdom," he stated.
People coming to the UK from the US and Canada are still required to self-isolate.
