Airport operator calls for urgent review of Omicron travel rules

The UK’s largest airport operator, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has called for an urgent review of travel restrictions, in light of the impact measures have on the travel sector as revealed in the group’s half-year results.

Figures for the first six month of the airport operator’s financial year showed passenger numbers down 82% on pre-pandemic levels, but a loosening of restrictions over summer helped nurture early signs of recovery. While new restrictions were introduced in light of the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, following the confirmation of community transmission in the UK, the operator behind the country’s busiest airport outside London is calling for a rethink on rules to help support the tourism and aviation sector.

In the six months from 1st April to 30th September, MAG reported a loss before interest and tax of £75.7 million. By contrast, the Group returned £172.7 million in profit for the same six months in 2019.

However, half-year results represent an improvement on the previous year’s figures: Manchester Airport served one million more passengers in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2020, with London Stansted and East Midlands airports also seeing significant boosts on the previous year’s results.

The Government’s decision to bring back both Day 2 PCR and pre-departure testing for all travellers to the UK will hold back the recovery of international travel and the UK aviation industry, MAG is now warning.

Initial data suggests passenger numbers were down by 10-20% across the Group following the introduction of Day 2 PCR tests, which was announced on 27^th November, and that this impact has increased further over recent days following the introduction of pre-departure tests this week.

Charlie Cornish, MAG CEO said: 

“The first half of this year tells a story of how travel restrictions held back the recovery of UK aviation, especially when compared to the rest of Europe.

“As restrictions eased, passenger numbers grew steadily at all three of our airports.

“The reintroduction of costly and inconvenient travel testing requirements has created further uncertainty and delayed our recovery.

“The Government has talked openly about the damage these restrictions cause to the travel sector, but neither they nor the Opposition have recognised the critical need to support our industry in return.

“As a business, we will always do our part to protect public health, but we also need these temporary measures to be removed when they are no longer worthwhile.

“These restrictions may have slowed the arrival of Omicron but it is now transmitting in the community, and the Government needs urgently to review whether the rapidly reducing benefit of testing justifies the damage it is causing to consumer confidence.

“MAG, and the wider UK travel industry, can be confident of a strong revival when travel restrictions are lifted. All we are asking for is to be able to plan for our recovery, and to be given the same chance that every other sector was given through the domestic roadmap earlier this year.”