Turkey seeks to join air bridge list as aviation service firm to cut jobs
● Ambassador calls for country to be added to those exempt from quarantine
Turkey is hoping to welcome British tourists again shortly and expects to be on the list of destinations to be exempted from the UK’S quarantine measures.
The nation’s ambassador to the UK said yesterday his country believed it would be among those to form socalled air bridges when an announcement is made later this week.
Umit Yalcin insisted it was safe to open up travel with Turkey
despite a recent spike in cases after lockdown restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19 were eased.
The Westminster government has imposed a 14-day quarantine on anyone entering the UK, apart from a few exemptions.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure from the travel industry – and from within his own party – to ease the restriction to boost tourism and the economy.
Mr Yalcin said Turkey should be on the list because, he argued, cases are low there, particularly in tourist areas.
“I’m optimistic because we are expecting to be included in that list because, scientifically, the facts and figures should talk and the numbers related to corona for Turkey is very low,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“All the numbers relatively and comparatively with other countries are very low, especially in touristic areas in the Aegean and Mediterranean coast the numbers are zero.
“Because of that reason, we are expected to be included on that list.”
Nations deemed to have a low risk of coronavirus transmissions, such as France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Germany, are expected to be included on the exemptions list.
Portugal had also been touted, but a spike in infections there has now cast some doubt.
Since 8 June, all passengers, bar a handful of exemptions, have been required to go into self-isolation for 14 days when they arrive in the UK.
The growing pressure over air bridges comes as dozens of jobs at fuel tanker company North Air look set to be lost at both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports in another blow to the ailing Scottish aviation industry.
Unite the Union warned of the job losses at North Air yesterday, saying the fuel tanker company, which services aircraft at both of Scotland’s biggest airports, would reduce its operations.
Job losses of more than 30 per cent in Edinburgh and more than 25 per cent in Glasgow are expected, the union warned.
Pat Mcilvogue, Unite regional industrial officer, said in response to the proposed redundancies at North Air the company had “unilaterally” broken off negotiations with the union.
He said: “North Air has worked constructively with Unite up until this point by using the UK government’s job retention scheme.
“However, the company has unilaterally decided to break from this approach and it has issued redundancy notices.”
North Air have been contacted for comment.