Select committee: Transport Committee
Recommendation 21
Second Report: The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation sector
Published 13 Jun 2020
Paragraph 109
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Coronavirus: implications for transport All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We recommend that the Department for Transport, working with other Government departments, the devolved administrations and those within the industry, publishes a strategy for the restart and recovery of the aviation sector as soon as possible. This strategy must include details as to how the Department will rapidly restore passenger air travel and in particular set out plans to: • minimise job losses in the sector while protecting pay, employee rights and health and safety standards; • ensure passenger confidence with an internationally agreed standard of passenger health protection; • minimise disruption and complexity for passengers; • work on an international basis to re-examine the airport slot allocation process to ensure it encourages competition and connectivity; • assess the economic impact of reduced passenger services on the transport of air freight and examine the viability of alternatives, such as increasing the number of dedicated freight planes; • protect regional connectivity within the UK and international strategic trade links; and • ensure the industry delivers its environmental obligations. • We request that the Department provide a progress report to this Committee by 1 July 2020 on its strategy for the restart and recovery of the aviation sector.
From: Transport Committee, Second Report: The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation sector (HC 268), paragraph 109, 13 June 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 7 September 2020 (deadline 13 August 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government agrees on the importance of the aviation sector and of international standards, and sets out measures including Travel Corridors and a recovery plan, while giving reasons for retaining the existing legal refund deadlines and noting it is legally prevented from intervening in slot allocation.
- On quarantine, it describes self-isolation for arrivals as a precautionary, "time-limited" measure and says Travel Corridors exempt arrivals from certain countries, with the exemption list "under constant review".
- It aims to publish an aviation recovery plan to 2025 "this Autumn", covering matters including workforce and skills, regional connectivity and consumer issues.
- On sector-specific tax support, it points to cross-economy schemes, says it "would consider support on a 'last resort' basis", and notes a forthcoming consultation on aviation tax reform.
- On refunds, it says consumers "retain their legal right to a cash refund" and that it kept the existing legal time periods. It will look at the CAA's enforcement powers.