The UK Civil Aviation Authority has concluded a successful prosecution of Romanian airline Blue Air Aviation for six offences under the Covid Enforcement Regulations.
Blue Air Aviation was fined £40,000, after pleading guilty to the violations.
Five of the offences concern Blue Air Aviation failing to ensure that passengers arriving at Heathrow had completed the required Passenger Locator Form.
In the sixth offence concerns the airline failed to ensure an arriving passenger had the required evidence showing that they had completed a pre-departure Covid test.
The prosecution and fine follows Blue Air Aviation receiving fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the breaches, which they did not pay or seek to resolve with the Civil Aviation Authority.
This is the first prosecution of an airline under the Covid Enforcement Regulations, which gave new enforcement powers to the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure airline compliance.
Paul Smith, Consumer Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: "We welcome the Court’s decision to fine Blue Air Aviation over breaches of the Covid Enforcement Regulations. While we generally observe high levels of compliance from airlines against the regulations, it is important for consumer confidence and public health that failures to follow the requirements are dealt with appropriately."
