MAG reacts to the Government's announcement on pre-departure testing
View attachment 21317MAG, which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, has today reacted to the Government’s announcement on pre-departure testing.
The policy announced will require all international arrivals, including UK nationals, to receive a negative covid-19 test result up to 72 hours before their flight departs. Upon their arrival in the UK, passengers arriving from countries which are not listed as a ‘travel corridor’ are still required to quarantine for up to 10 days, and are able to use the ‘Test to Release’ scheme which will reduce their quarantine to five days, upon receiving an additional negative test result.
The new requirement comes into play from next week.
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “It is clear that, as a country, we must take all necessary action to prevent the spread of the virus.
“That is why we will do all we can to support the introduction of these additional, stricter measures at a time when new strains have emerged and infection rates are rising.
“At the same time, we need clarity on how aviation will be allowed to resume alongside the rest of the economy, once public health conditions improve.
“Despite being one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, airports have stayed open and suffered huge losses to support essential air travel such as emergency services, repatriation flights and critical freight operations.
“The Government must set out its plan now for how restrictions will be eased in time for summer, as well as details of the financial support it will provide to airports, which have a central role to play in the U.K’s economic recovery from this pandemic.”
