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British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair announced they have launched legal action against the government’s “flawed” 14-day quarantine policy. 

The airlines claim it will “have a devastating effect on British tourism and the wider economy, and destroy thousands of jobs”.

They said in a joint statement: “The airlines have asked for their judicial review to be heard as soon as possible.

“The airlines have not yet seen any evidence on how and when proposed ‘air bridges’ between the UK and other countries will be implemented.

“Instead, they want the government to readopt its previous quarantine policy introduced on March 10, where quarantine is limited to passengers from ‘high-risk’ countries.

“This would be the most practical and effective solution and enables civil servants to focus on other, more significant issues arising from the pandemic while bringing the UK in line with much of Europe which is opening its borders mid-June.

“The airlines’ legal challenge against the current quarantine period is based on, among others, (i) the fact this quarantine, by criminal law, is more stringent than the guidelines applied to people who actually have Covid-19, (ii) there was no consultation and no scientific evidence provided for such a severe policy (iii) that, for example, if you are a French or German worker commuting weekly to the UK you will be exempted, and (iv) the UK Government is banning people travelling to and from countries with lower infection rates than the UK.”