BUSINESS NEWS


Walsh slams test regime and Heathrow proposal


Ian Taylor


Iata director general Willie Walsh slammed the UK government and Heathrow when he addressed the Aviation Club in London last week. Walsh demanded the government


“learn from its mistakes” and end “the closed shop of private testing providers”. He insisted “airlines are not border guards” and called for automated checks of health credentials. The Iata chief also hit out at


Heathrow, accusing it of “outrageous behaviour” and acting as “a greedy monopoly hub airport” by proposing to raise charges to airlines by 90%. Walsh told the industry audience:


“We insist the government learn from the mistakes it made with the state- sponsored rip-off of the PCR testing industry. In Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands you can buy an antigen kit for less than €5. It’s critical the UK move away from the closed shop of private testing providers.” He noted “travel health credentials


will play a role for some time” and warned: “Manual paper checks by airlines will be unsustainable. The UK needs to take the liability


BA seeks to recruit cabin crew in time for next summer


British Airways plans to recruit an unspecified number of cabin crew in time for next summer after making 4,700 redundant last year. Trade union Unite suggested 3,000 would be hired. BA said it


travelweekly.co.uk


had contacted staff who left last year and expressed an interest in returning, but insisted it aims “to create the most diverse crew” in


off carriers for these checks and introduce the tools and technology for government to undertake whatever checks it requires.” Of Heathrow, he said: “If its


proposal is accepted, charges will rise from £22 to £42 per passenger. For the average family, that could add around £100 to their next vacation. “Placing the financial burden of


a crisis of apocalyptic proportions on your customers is a commercial strategy that only a monopoly supplier could dream up. It’s time for Heathrow’s shareholders to step up.” Walsh argued: “The UK was fast in vaccinating and among the first to


Willie Walsh


establish a roadmap to restart travel. But instead of moving forward fast, it got lost. The EU is now leading with many of the most sensible policies. It has largely done away with testing vaccinated travellers. “The UK is making necessary


changes. Unfortunately, it has not found an alternative to expensive PCR tests and 10-day quarantine for unvaccinated travellers.” He said: “We’re past the worst


point [of the crisis] and can see a path towards normality. [But] international travel is only expected to reach 22% [of 2019 levels] by the end of this year and next year will lag at just 44%.”


Leading carriers urge EU to revise ‘haphazard’ checks


Europe’s major airlines called for “an immediate end” to the EU’s traffic light system last week, calling the system “haphazard” and ineffective. Airlines for Europe (A4E)


leaders at a summit in Brussels slammed the requirement for manual checks of EU Digital Covid Certificates (DCCs) and passenger locator forms (PLFs) by airline staff. However, they hailed the EU DCC system as having become “the de facto global standard”. A4E represents carriers


including easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways and Iberia owner IAG, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa. The group called for “an


immediate end to the EU’s haphazard, colour-coded system” blaming it for “long airport and call centre queues, flight delays and cancellations”. A4E also urged the EU to end the requirement for passengers to wear face masks and “discontinue use of PLFs”. It called on EU leaders “to speed


up development of technological solutions which could facilitate verifi- cation of DCCs as part of passengers’ online check-in” and urged “an align- ment of travel rules and recognition of DCCs by the US authorities”.


its history. Staff will join as ‘mixed fleet’ crew, flying both long and short-haul routes. The carrier earlier confirmed


plans to relaunch short-haul flights from Gatwick by summer 2022 after concluding talks with Balpa. Unite general secretary Sharon


Graham accused the carrier of acting “in bad faith”, saying the announcement confirmed the union’s claim that BA planned to “fire and rehire” staff. Graham


said: “BA is asking crew it sacked needlessly last year to reapply on substantially reduced terms.” BA made 10,000 staff redundant


in 2020. Those who remained accepted pay cuts of 15%-35%, according to Unite. Separately, BA announced


the appointment of a new chief financial officer to replace Steve Gunning, who it is understood resigned. Nicholas Cadbury will join IAG from Whitbread.


21 OCTOBER 2021 55


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