‘Illogical and chaotic’: Manchester Airport slams government inaction

Tuesday, 27 Aug, 2020 0

The boss of Manchester Airport has launched a withering attack on the government’s carefree approach to the travel industry, branding it ‘sluggish, illogical and chaotic’.

Charlie Cornish said ministers have shown scant regard for the impact of the blanket approach to travel bans and appear indifferent to the mounting job losses.

Such an attitude is in stark contrast to authorities in mainland Europe, the airport’s Chief Executive said.

"Throughout the pandemic, there has been no evidence of any recognition from the government of the need to protect the travel industry and enable it to recover from what is undoubtedly the biggest crisis it has ever faced," he said.

Cornish’s remarks are the latest in a series of attacks on the UK Government. But little has changed, with more job losses widely expected.

Gatwick Airport has warned that 600 jobs will go when the Job Retention Scheme ends in October.

Cornish said the travel industry has been ‘left behind’.

"The impact of Covid-19 – and quarantine restrictions – on the travel industry is clear for all to see," he said. "It is evident in the tens of thousands of job losses that have already been announced and the millions of holidays already cancelled.

"If reports are to be believed, our government was due to debate taking a more realistic and passenger-friendly approach to quarantine decisions on Monday at its Covid Committee.

"But this meeting didn’t happen, and we hear it’s now due to happen today. It’s not the first time a critical decision in this area has been put off, with no credible explanation for the delay.

"Indeed throughout the pandemic, there has been no evidence of any recognition from the government of the need to protect the travel industry and enable it to recover from what is undoubtedly the biggest crisis it has ever faced.

"From the very start of this pandemic, we have appealed for a support package for airports. But our request for business rates relief was ignored, despite lockdown."

He said the failure to recognise the need for direct financial support was ‘disappointing to say the least’.

But he added: "It’s not surprising when you consider our government already places its airports at a competitive disadvantage by levying some of the highest passenger taxes in the world.

"The impact of this decision has been amplified many times over by its sluggish, chaotic and illogical approach to travel restrictions, an area where we have watched other nations move quickly and decisively while our government has remained in its own decision-making lockdown."

"We see no signs that it wants to avoid further jobs losses, or an appreciation of the critical role airports will have in the economic revival of regions across the country as we gingerly emerge from this crippling pandemic."

"It seems there is an acceptance within the Department for Transport and by the Transport Secretary himself that a regionalised approach is needed, but we find ourselves months down the line and no progress has been made.

"With another key meeting cancelled this week, Cabinet cracks cannot seemingly be papered over, even when it comes to protecting an industry as critical as ours.

"Some will point to positive news about Portugal becoming restriction-free again, but with so little of our summer remaining, so many popular destinations needlessly closed-off, so many jobs at risk and so little confidence our Prime Minister understands this urgency, you can understand why our industry feels left behind."