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Bloomberg
The UK airline industry stepped up a campaign to persuade Prime Minister Boris Johnson that travel should be included in his plan to reopen the economy, calling for a clear road map to ease travel restrictions ahead of the crucial
summer season.
In a webinar organised by lobby group Airlines UK, heads of carriers including EasyJet Plc and Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd stressed the importance of the sector to the economy and employment. Without measures to reopen, the industry would need a support package to survive and protect jobs, EasyJet Chief Executive Officer Johan Lundgren said.
Overseas trips are effectively banned for most British people under lockdown rules, while incoming travelers are forced to take multiple Covid-19 tests and, in many cases, mandatory hotel quarantines.
Johnson is under pressure to help the UK economy rebound from its worst recession in 300 years. He is due to set out a plan for easing the rules on February 22, and has said he will look closely at the data regarding infections, hospitalisations and deaths before making any decisions.
The usually lucrative summer season is when European airlines tend to make most of their revenue.