Parliamentarians call for risk based approach to restart international travel

Over 40 cross-party MPs and peers have today backed a call from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation for the Government to introduce a risk-based approach to the restart of international travel. 

This approach would allow for travel to low-risk nations with minimal or no restrictions whilst providing flexibility for restrictions on those nations where there remains a high risk, including those with Covid-19 variants of concern. 

It also calls for the introduction of rapid testing for international arrivals where required and for any use of the ‘test to release’ policy to keep quarantine periods as low as possible. Alongside this, the parliamentarians have repeated the call for a recovery package for the aviation, travel and tourism industries. 

The letter has been signed by former Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley MP, former Aviation Minister Paul Maynard MP and Chair of the Transport Select Committee Huw Merriman MP. 

Commenting, Henry Smith MP, Chair of the APPG for the Future of Aviation said:  

“I am grateful to colleagues for backing our call for the introduction of a risk-based approach to the reopening of international travel. 

“We cannot begin our long road to recovery if we keep our skies shut throughout the summer months. The introduction of a risk-based approach to the restart of international travel provides the right balance between reopening travel and ensuring that we remain vigilant against Covid-19 variants of concern. 

“The pandemic has been disastrous for our aviation, travel and tourism sectors and the consequences of a failure to build on the progress of our vaccination programme and back a risk-based reopening of international travel will be devastating not only to the businesses involved, but their employees, their communities and the UK economy as a whole. 

 “We can reopen international travel safely through a risk-based approach and the Government must back this and put in place measures that allow our world class aviation, travel and tourism industries to begin to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and play their role in our national recovery.”