Covid: EasyJet cancels flights over Manchester-Scotland travel ban
- Published
An EasyJet spokesman has apologised "for the inconvenience caused by the latest news and cancellations"
Airline EasyJet will not go ahead with new routes connecting Manchester to Edinburgh and Aberdeen after a recent travel ban by the Scottish government.
The ban on non-essential travel between Scotland and Manchester and Salford came into force on Monday because of concern over rising Covid rates.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is due to hold talks with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later.
Mr Burnham said he would be seeking a "political route" to end the dispute.
Posting on Twitter, he said the news from EasyJet showed the ban was having a "real impact on Greater Manchester," adding: "Our concerns are genuine."
The Manchester-Edinburgh route, due to take just 65 minutes, was being introduced to replace a service lost when Flybe ceased operations in March 2020.
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An EasyJet spokesman said, following the Scottish government's announcement, it was "no longer able to operate our planned new routes connecting Edinburgh and Aberdeen with Manchester".
He said customers would be notified and informed of their options, which included transferring to alternative destinations or dates.
A voucher or refund were also options, he said.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is due to speak to Andy Burnham amid the dispute over the travel ban
Mark Beveridge, operations director at Aberdeen International Airport, said the flight operator's announcement was "disappointing".
"We can't continue like this and urgently need help and a plan that sets out how we can work towards the safe restart of travel," he said.
Mr Burnham earlier said the travel ban was imposed without consulting Greater Manchester authorities and it was hypocritical of the Scottish government which he claimed regularly complains of being steamrolled by Westminster.
Scotland's Deputy First Minister, and Covid Recovery Secretary, John Swinney told Holyrood the Scottish government would not acquiesce to Mr Burnham's demands for compensation for those affected by the ban.
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- Published21 June 2021
- Published21 June 2021
- Published21 June 2021
- Published20 June 2021
