Air Bridges Scrapped!

[pigeon999]

The Air Bridge idea is in tatters and has finally been consigned to the dustbin. The UK very shortly will have a long list of 75 countries we will soon be able to visit coded by a traffic light system, with no quarantine needed whatsoever.

The system is designed to use the countries data on their infection rate (one would ask why they would feel the need to honest, if they rely heavily on tourism) and whether that data can be 'relied' on, and according the British Government that is practically everyone!

Only a handful of countries are on the red list. So we will be unable to travel there for the moment. US, Brazil and a few others.

It would be good to know the true thoughts of SAGE about this decision, which goes far beyond the original plan.

Now we can abandon social distancing on aircrafts and terminal airport buses and all the rest, does it now make social distancing anywhere completely pointless? If we are going back to pre lockdown numbers of arrivals and travellers what is the point?

Have we now given up on the idea of keeping control of infection? Track and trace is not working properly, so how we will manage future outbreaks?

What are you thoughts, are you booking a holiday today?

Omni-fucking-shambles

They think of a policy, name it, jettison it. Over and over and over again.

When did we last see an official using the Nando's scale?

Or see a proper evaluation of progress against the five tests?

Nando’s scale 😂😂😂

Agree total shambles

We have a worse outbreak than most of our popular holiday destinations, so they are more at risk than we are. I would go on holiday now - not in a risk group.

Agree everything about this has been a shambles! I think they will come to see lockdown as a huge over reaction and I am dreading the next few years of austerity.

Not surprised. Countries want to keep us out more than we do them.

We’ve been worse hit than many countries, restrictions will come from other countries that want to keep us out unless they’re desperate for our tourism.

I’d happily travel now, although I’m not planning on booking anything just yet.

As I grumbled at the time "airbridge" was a completely inappropriate bit of terminology anyway but I guess it appealed to those who insist on couching everything in terms of a war time battle and to try cram militaristic terms into every soundbite 'cos it makes them think they sound 'ard'..

From the Cambridge English Dictionary:

" An airbridge is the means by which an airhead is kept supplied by overflying enemy held territory. "

All that's happening is we are returning, (or by the sounds of it not), to the system of bi-lateral agreements to operate civilian flights between agreed airports....not exactly a new or world beating idea..

Nicola Sturgeon is furious and thinks it is reckless, she is now threatening to quarantine anyone from England in fourteen days.

We had hoped for a few low risk countries possibly - but 75!!!!!

I wouldn't be so sure all these countries are going to be welcoming British tourists with open arms though. We booked in Jan to go to Greece in August and the owner decided not to open at all this summer because they think the risk of someone bringing the infection to the resort is too high. (We weren't planning to go still and it's handy on the insurance front that he cancelled before we needed to!). Nice someone's putting health before profits. The Govt should take note.

Yes but it is a big ask for those countries that are already struggling economically.

75 is a lot

They probably finally looked at the actual rate and let in everyone who is lower than us. Turns out that’s a fair few

Nicola is eradicating the virus from Scotland.... ummm!

That means Scotland will have no visitors at all since unless fully lockdown borders how can you guarantee that a virus that is all over the world will not enter...

It's being on a plane sitting close to lots of people I don't fancy... I think most countries seem to have lower rates of infection than us though so ...

I’d like to see the flow of U.K. money to Scotland to enable these choices when England is trying to get economy back up and running.

People will have to make their own decisions and use some common sense. I wouldn’t be haunting off on hols to Spain anytime soon but I would travel for a family emergency or similar.

‘
Nicola Sturgeon is furious and thinks it is reckless, she is now threatening to quarantine anyone from England in fourteen days.’

Good luck policing that one,
Nicola.

I appreciate that Greece needs tourists, but looking at how well they’ve handled this compared to many countries, why the hell would they want English tourists?

If I was Greek and saw the scenes from Bournemouth and similar, there’s no way I’d want to be within breathing distance of any British visitors*.

*I know NABALT, but too many are.

We won't be going abroad this year. I don't like the idea of sitting in a plane. We've booked a uk self catering holiday.

I’m going to Rome if they let me in August

I’ve already had two holidays cancelled. I am sticking with the UK next year.

It’s not the risk of COVID—19 to me, it’s being a symptomatic and bringing it back, or catching there and having to quarantine and not come home when supposed too.

Plus I can’t be doing with all this being on tenterhooks waiting to see if we can go

If I owned a hotel in Scotland I would be pretty furious after being closed for so long, apparently Scottish tourist board now inundated with people that have booked holidays in Scotland and would like clarification on the quarantine comments!

However I do agree with Sturgeon's overall reservations about opening up aviation to the whole world again bar one or two countries that are still battling the peak.

I imagine she is a little cross, as the looming recession will be extremely bad for her campaign for independence.

We digress. I wonder just how many people when it comes to it will actually fly. I wore a mask for an hour yesterday and wondered how we would cope on a long flight all in masks and gloves etc.

Just to say we are not planning to fly either this year

Are the FCO lifting their ban on non essential travel then ?

Yup it looks like it anyfucker according to the telegraph this morning.

We are going to be opening up completely - all sectors in a matter of weeks and days.

Surely this is a do or die moment, we will be either be fine when everything opens or we will be engulfed by a second wave. Depending on your risk appetite and health status the responsibility is now all yours folks is the messaging as far as I can tell.

Sigh. I have a UK holiday booked. In Scotland.

There might be 75 countries on the list, but the majority of them will still force you to quarantine when you get there, which will put off most travellers who were just wanting a holiday. I read somewhere that only around 12 of those will let us straight in. And hopefully for those people coming in from those countries, their numbers are significantly lower so they have more chance of catching something when they arrive here than bringing it with them.