UK: Airlines Take Legal Action Against Travel Bans

A group of British airports and airlines have launched legal action against travel bans imposed by the government.

With the operation, which began on Friday, the group has challenged government ministers to make transparent decisions on Corona’s ranking of dangerous countries.
The case against Transport Minister Grant Sheppard was first heard in the London High Court.

The Manchester Airports Group is at the forefront of the lawsuit, with companies such as RYA, EasyJet, British Airways owner IAG and TUIU supporting it. These companies demand that the government allow more people to travel.

According to a Reuters report, the heads of five companies that have filed lawsuits against the British government said: “It is important for travellers to know how decisions are being made so that they can plan their trip with confidence. That is why we are asking the government for the data and other information on the basis of which this decision is being made.

The British government has said that British citizens who have been fully vaccinated will not have to go to quarantine after July 19 to return from high-risk countries. In addition, adults who have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine and those under the age of 18 are being allowed to travel.

On the other hand, travel companies say that it is not yet clear on what basis the government is ranking different countries through its traffic light system.
Note that the green list issued by the British government includes only small islands, while large countries such as Spain, Greece, France and the United States are included in the amber (dark yellow) list, which clearly means that 19 Travel will be restricted after July. Even then, British and foreigners living in the UK who cannot get two doses of the vaccine will have to be quarantined.

According to a Reuters report, airports and airlines are facing severe financial losses due to 16-month travel bans, at which time it is important to remove these bans completely in order to save the jobs of millions of people and restore business.
On the other hand, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation says that their traffic light system carefully classifies different countries based on the new variants of the Coronavirus.

Asked about the case, a Transport Department spokesman said: “We cannot comment on the proceedings.”