Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to encourage airlines to no longer require mandatory mask wearing on domestic and international flights.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

In England face coverings are no longer required by law.

Airlines and operators set their own conditions of carriage, including decisions on the wearing of face coverings and when to lift this requirement. The majority of airlines continue to opt to retain face coverings following up-to-date guidance from international aviation regulators, including both the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EUASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and due to continued differences in national COVID-19 restrictions around the world, which have made retaining the requirement simpler operationally in the short-term.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for airlines lifting mask mandates on domestic and international flights.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Airlines and operators set their own conditions of carriage, including decisions on the wearing of face coverings and when to lift this requirement. The majority of airlines continue to opt to retain face coverings following up-to-date guidance from international aviation regulators, including both the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EUASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and due to continued differences in national COVID-19 restrictions around the world.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of empty or almost empty flights that have left the UK by airport in each month since March 2020.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The number of departing international passenger flights operating with no more than 10% of their available seats filled since March 2020 by airport and by month is presented in the attached document. This is based on data collected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on commercial flight operations, and is currently complete until September 2021.

Departing flights may operate with a low number of passengers for a range of reasons. Since the onset of the pandemic, the Government has provided alleviation from the normal slot regulations that require airlines to operate 80% of their slots in order to retain them for the following season. This means that airlines have not been required to operate empty or almost empty flights solely to retain their historic slots rights.

As the pandemic has gone on and aviation demand has increased, the Government wants to encourage recovery. A draft Statutory Instrument setting out arrangements for Summer 2022 was published on 24 January 2022. To reduce the risk of airlines operating environmentally damaging empty or near-empty flights, this legislation includes an enhanced justified non-utilisation provision, meaning that airlines will not be required to operate slots where markets are substantively closed to passenger traffic.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of installing a higher slot-use threshold on the aviation sector's recovery from the outbreak of covid-19.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on air passenger demand. Following a review of the latest available evidence and consultation with the aviation industry, Ministers have decided that further alleviation from slots rules is necessary to support the aviation industry’s financial position, protect connectivity and reduce the risk that airlines operate environmentally damaging empty or near-empty flights.

The rules requiring airlines to use slots in order to retain them were fully suspended for the Summer 2020, Winter 2020/21 and Summer 2021 seasons. The UK’s exit from the EU means that it has been able to take a more tailored approach that reflect the UK’s specific circumstances.

As the pandemic has gone on, the Government is now also keen to encourage recovery. In the Winter 2021/22 Season which will last until 27 March 2022 we have set the usage requirement for slots at 50% and gave airlines the option of handing back slot series that they were not intending to use before the season started to allow other airlines to use them.

A draft Statutory Instrument setting out arrangements for Summer 2022 was published on 24 January 2022. To reduce the risk of airlines operating environmentally damaging empty or near-empty flights, this legislation includes an enhanced justified non-utilisation provision, meaning that airlines will not be required to operate slots where markets are substantively closed to passenger traffic.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of passengers who have yet to receive a refund from flights cancelled as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The data requested for the number of individuals due to receive refunds for cancelled flights is not centrally recorded by the Department for Transport.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority reviewed airline compliance on refunds and worked collaboratively to improve performance on consumer obligations, over the summer of 2020. The majority of airlines now pay refunds within seven days. During the pandemic Government made clear, including through the publication of the Passenger COVID-19 Charter, that everyone should be as flexible as possible during whilst travelling during the pandemic, and the industry has responded with flexibility.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with airline carriers on failures to refund passengers who have had their flights cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Consumer protection for those travelling by air remains a key priority for this Government. If an operator cancels the flight, passengers are entitled to a full refund.

During the pandemic, Government has been clear, including through the publication of the Passenger COVID-19 Charter, that everyone should be as flexible as possible, and that businesses are expected to be reasonable and refund customers who cannot travel due to COVID-19 restrictions. Passengers may not be entitled to refunds in certain circumstances and should check the terms and conditions of their booking. We have seen the industry responding flexibly by offering alternative dates or destinations in these circumstances.

In summer 2020, the Civil Aviation Authority reviewed airline compliant on refunds and worked collaboratively to improve performance. The majority of airlines now pay refunds within seven days.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing compulsory covid-19 pre-flight testing for international flights into the UK.

Answered by Maggie Throup

On 7 December, pre-departure testing was introduced for all arrivals into England aged over 12 years old, regardless of vaccination status.

Early information suggests that the window between exposure to the virus and infection may be shorter for the Omicron variant. This may increase the efficacy of pre-departure testing as it is more likely to identify positive cases before travel.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a financial support package for the aviation sector in the context of further covid-19 travel restrictions.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the international travel sectors due to COVID-19. Additional temporary testing measures introduced in response to the Omicron variant remain in place to help prevent additional cases of Omicron from entering the UK, while supporting domestic measures to tackle the spread of the variant in the UK. The Government recognises the impact these temporary health measures have on the travel and aviation industry, and they will be reviewed again in the first week of January.

Since the start of the pandemic, we estimate that the air transport sector (airlines, airport and related services) will have benefitted from around £8bn of government support.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of the latest covid-19 travel restrictions on the aviation industry.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

Temporary border measures have been introduced to prevent further Omicron cases from entering the UK and slow the rise of cases within the UK, whilst our scientists work at pace to better understand this new variant. These measures will be reviewed next week to ensure they remain necessary and proportionate.

The Government recognises the challenging times facing the international travel sectors due to COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, we estimate that the air transport sector (airlines, airport and related services) will have benefitted from around £8bn of government support. The Department for Transport is working closely with HM Treasury to monitor the situation and we continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Newport West constituency who have yet to receive refunds for flights cancelled during the pandemic.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The data requested for the number of individuals due to receive refunds for flights is not centrally recorded by the Department for Transport.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority reviewed airline compliance on refunds and worked collaboratively to improve performance on consumer obligations, over the summer of 2020. The majority of airlines now pay refunds within seven days. During the pandemic Government made clear, including through the publication of the Passenger COVID-19 Charter, that everyone should be as flexible as possible during whilst travelling during the pandemic, and the industry has responded with flexibility.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is offering to the civil aviation industry while covid-19 public health restrictions on international travel remain in place; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry because of Covid-19 and firms experiencing difficulties have been able to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor. In total, we estimate that by the end of September 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefited from around £7bn of Government support since the start of the pandemic. This includes support through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

The Department for Transport works closely with HM Treasury on matters related to aviation. We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on bringing forward an aviation sector deal to support the recovery of aviation related businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Government recognises the challenging circumstances facing the aviation industry because of Covid-19 and firms experiencing difficulties have been able to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor. In total, we estimate that by the end of September 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefited from around £7bn of Government support since the start of the pandemic. This includes support through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

The Department for Transport works closely with HM Treasury on matters related to aviation. We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.

Found: Aviation: Coronavirus 8 April 2020 | UIN HL2928 Asked by: Lord Davies of Glower To ask Her