Scotland to drop Spain quarantine restrictions

Quarantine restrictions for Scottish sun-seekers travelling to Spain are to be lifted this week, the Scottish Government has announced.

Scotland will fall into line with the rest of the UK when the requirement to self-isolate for a fortnight when coming to Scotland from Spain and its islands such as Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and the Canaries is removed.

Although airports have welcomed the easing of the measure, there are warnings that the delay has already affected jobs and led to cancelled flights.

Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports which owns Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, said: “The omission of Spain from the initial quarantine exemption list resulted in the cancellation of many flights.

“With just three weeks left of the school holidays, the removal of travel restrictions will provide airlines with the confidence to maintain their popular Spanish routes and afford families the opportunity to get away for some sun.”

Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport chief executive, said: “We are glad to see the unworkable blanket quarantine policy effectively being removed for one that is more targeted based on quantified risk.

“Despite this change we still have to unfortunately accept that the normally busy summer season is effectively gone and that will directly impact on jobs in the sector.

“We have tried to protect as many jobs as we can and we continue to work with unions on this, but this pandemic has decimated the aviation industry and it will continue to have a bearing on us for months to come.”

Earlier this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon decided against creating a so-called air bridge to Spain and Serbia, despite the UK Government excluding them from quarantine restrictions south of the border along with 57 other overseas destinations.

They were excluded on the basis that the coronavirus was still too prevalent in those two countries, relative to Scotland.

The decision not to create an air bridge with Spain, one of the most popular holiday destinations for Scots, was met with dismay by airports and the tourist industry.