Masks and gloves must be worn at all times, say airports
Unilateral action taken as ministers accused of being slow to cooperate
Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports will this week begin requiring travellers to wear face masks and gloves, The Sunday Tele
graph can disclose. They made the unilateral move as ministers are accused of being “slow to work with airports” on how air travel will function when the lockdown is lifted.
The three airports are also trialling temperature checks and mulling plans to ask all passengers to make a health declaration before entering.
Passengers will be expected to bring their own gloves and masks, although the airports will have some PPE supplies on standby.
The Department for Transport set up a taskforce called the Recovery and Restart Group several weeks ago to consider what safeguards need to be implemented. However, it is understood the committee has failed to consult with airports on the measures that will need to be introduced.
Charlie Cornish, boss of Manchester Airports Group said: “Government has been slow to work with the UK aviation industry. It is vital we work together to establish a workable set of proposals.
“UK airports have put a package of measures on the table for discussion. We now need the Government to work urgently with airports and airlines to agree how we operate in the future.”
There is a growing expectation that families may yet rekindle hopes of a summer holiday abroad and airports will not be ready to deal with a bow wave of travellers.
Michael O’Leary, the boss of Europe’s biggest airline Ryanair said that he expects “a rush to get to the beaches in July and August”.
Last week, The Sunday
Telegraph disclosed that British officials were drawing up plans based on the 14day “stay home” notices currently issued to Singaporean citizens returning to their country from abroad.
A new poll found overwhelming support for proposals for those flying into the UK to be asked to selfisolate for two weeks – with 92 per cent agreeing a scheme should be in place.
An ORB International survey of 2,082 people found only four per cent of people disagreed that both British citizens and those from abroad should be “forced to quarantine” for a period of two weeks after flying into UK airports.
The requirement for travellers to wear face masks comes amid a split among experts as to their efficacy.
Martyn James, of consumer complaints service Resolver, said there was real confusion over the advice on face masks. He said: “It would make sense for the Government to take control. You can see this being the new toilet roll in three days’ time and that’s not going to help anyone.”
Sue Davies, head of Consumer Protection at Which, said: “We’ve seen unscrupulous sellers exploiting people... and the problem is likely to get worse.”