Passenger quarantine 'devastating' for regional airportspublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 10 May 2020
Claire Gilbody-Dickerson
BBC News
An airport boss has written to the Prime Minister to warn that the potential move to quarantine passengers returning to the UK could deal a "devastating blow" to their business.
Andrew Bell, chief executive of Regional & City Airports, called on the government to ensure it takes "appropriate safeguards around time-limiting the measures and supporting businesses affected during quarantine".
The operator runs three airports in Exeter, Norwich and Bournemouth. In a letter seen by the BBC, Mr Bell said "blanket, open-ended" restrictions could damage the airports, on which 3,000 people's jobs rely.
Before Covid 19, up to 2.4m passengers travelled through its airports every year, the chief executive said.
Mr Bell appealed for a "clear exit strategy" to be published in due time as a "protracted period of zero, or near zero passengers, is simply unsustainable".