Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the aviation (a) sector and (b) supply chain.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Before the impact of COVID-19, the UK aviation sector, including air transport and aerospace, directly employed around 230,000 people and supported around 500,000 jobs in total, including the jobs supported through its purchase of goods and services along its supply chain.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a sharp contraction in aviation demand, which has created large revenue losses for airlines, airports and companies along the aviation supply chain. The sector has responded to falling revenues by taking action to cut costs.
The Department keeps impacts of Covid-19 on the transport sector under regular review and recognises the importance of the aviation sector to the UK economy. As a result, a series of measures have already been introduced.
The aviation sector can draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals.
The Department also influenced the airport flight slot usage rules at the start of the pandemic, enabling airlines to cut their services without penalty and protect the environment from unnecessary flying.
The Government has also commenced a policy of ‘travel corridors’, a risk-based alternative to blanket self-isolation requirements with lower risk countries.
We are working with the sector to enable its restart.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on connectivity from each UK airport.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department has been speaking regularly to airport operators and airlines to understand the effect COVID-19 has had on connectivity as part of our engagement on restart and recovery in the sector.
We will continue to work closely with the industry, to understand how the aviation sector is recovering. This will support government in developing a clear recovery plan for aviation that considers the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on regional connectivity from each UK airport.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2020 to Question 47234, on Aviation: Coronavirus, if he will list what support has been provided to each UK airport since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector as a result of COVID-19, and has been engaging regularly with airports throughout the UK to understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on their financial position.
Businesses across the industry, including airports, have been able to draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures put in place during this time. This includes a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, two business interruption loan guarantee schemes for different sizes of business, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals.
If airports find themselves in trouble as a result of coronavirus even following the Government’s cross-economy wage and financial interventions, the Transport Secretary and Chancellor have confirmed that the Government is prepared to enter discussions with individual companies seeking bespoke support as a last resort, having exhausted all other options. Any intervention would need to represent value for money for taxpayers.
Airports across the country are eligible and have accessed these schemes which has protected a substantial number of jobs across the industry. We do not comment on the commercial or financial matters of private firms and are therefore unable to say anything further.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer 26 May 2020 to Question 47233, on Aviation: Coronavirus, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of measures taken by (a) Singapore and (b) South Korea to help prevent the spread of covid-19 from air travel.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We are working very closely with both Singapore and South Korea through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is also collaborating closely with their Singaporean counterparts.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Answer of 26 May 2020 to Question 47233, on Aviation: Coronavirus, what steps he is taking with (a) international partners, (b) ICAO and (c) IATA to establish a shared agenda on public health.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The UK has been working with a range of international partners to drive forward a shared agenda on public health and aviation through regular meetings and correspondence.
The UK is a member of the governing Council of ICAO and has played a leading role in the ICAO Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), which was set up specifically to address the aviation industry’s recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CART brought together states and industry, including IATA, to develop guidance for the restart. This guidance, including on public health measures for aviation, was published by ICAO on 2 June.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2020 to Question 47235, on International Transport: Coronavirus, when he plans to publish a common international standard on screening measures for travel during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government has not published a common international standard on screening measures for travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the UK is a member of the governing Council of ICAO and has played a leading role in the ICAO Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), which was set up specifically to address the aviation industry’s recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance, including on common screening measures for air travel, was published by ICAO on 2 June.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer 26 May 2020 on Question 47236, on International Transport: Coronavirus, what progress has been made with (a) the European Aviation Safety Authority, (b) the ICAO and (c) other international bodies on establishing a common international standard on screening measures for travel during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
While the UK is no longer involved in the development of EASA rules, the UK is an active participant in the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), through which it engages with European partners to discuss common measures for air travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK is a member of the governing Council of ICAO and has played a leading role in the ICAO Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), which was set up specifically to address the aviation industry’s recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance, including on common screening measures, was published by ICAO on 2 June.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2020 to Question 47236, on International Transport: Coronavirus, when he plans to publish potential common international measures for travel during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The UK is a member of the governing Council of ICAO and has played a leading role in the ICAO Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART), which was set up specifically to address the aviation industry’s recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance, including on common international measures for air travel, was published by ICAO on 2 June.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has held with the aviation sector on the criteria to be used when carrying out the review of quarantine restrictions every three weeks.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department for Transport has engaged with the aviation sector on this issue and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. This includes working with senior representatives from the aviation industry as part of the Aviation Restart and Recovery Expert Steering Group. This group serves as the working group for the International Aviation Taskforce – one of five sectoral taskforces announced by the Government on 13 May to support the development of guidelines for safely reopening businesses.