Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which commercial aviation routes are being prioritised as part of the plan to restart aviation following the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector?as a result of?COVID-19 and is committed to tackling this virus while enabling a sustainable and responsible return to travel.

Commercial air transport routes are a matter for airlines, and therefore decisions on how soon to operate a route after a period of inactivity is a matter for those airlines.

Since 10 July under the Travel Corridor policy, passengers arriving from a number of countries and territories are no longer required to self-isolate on arrival unless they have visited or transited through a non-exempt country or territory. Ministerial decisions on Travel Corridors are informed by risk assessments provided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, working closely with Public Health England, using a methodology endorsed by the 4 Chief Medical Officers of the UK.

As a further measure in support of travel, the Test to Release scheme was launched on 15 December. This provides passengers arriving in England with the option to shorten the self-isolation period by up to half following a negative COVID-19 test.