Business leaders call for new air travel plan

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce has joined forces with more than 20 UK organisations calling for the UK Government to set out as a plan for air travel.

The letter, backed by organisations including the Tourism Alliance, UK Hospitality and Universities UK, wants to see an ‘integrated cross-government plan’ for air travel.

Businesses across the country rely on the UK being connected to the global economy and international travel had ‘slowed to a trickle’ since March, it said.

The letter, headed by Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said more than 1.5 million jobs in the UK are supported by air transport and more than 40 per cent of its trade with non-EU countries travels by plane.

The letter read: ‘There are whole sectors of the UK economy – from small to medium enterprises to large employers – that simply won’t recover and thrive without international connections.

‘Our manufacturers rely on air connections to export goods; our world-class universities get around £6.9 billion a year from international students; our tourism industry accounts for more than seven per cent of the UK economy; and much of our hospitality sector relies on international visitors. They need urgent clarity on when they will be able to get flying again.’

It calls for ‘travel corridors’ to be established between the UK and low-risk countries.

This would enable exemptions from the blanket quarantine requirements for UK arrivals.

It added: ‘The indefinite and indiscriminate advice not to travel overseas prevents businesses and individuals from being able to plan with confidence.’