From next Tuesday, all travelers heading to Great Britain will have to show a negative Covid test upon departure. The Johnson government decided in light of the alert Omicron variant, the measure sparked the anger of the airlines, which spoke of a "severe blow" to the sector, reports the BBC.
The swab is mandatory for all people over 12 years of age, whether vaccinated or not, and must be carried out no more than 48 hours before departure.
"The introduction of pre-departure testing, at short notice, is a major blow to the business travel industry," commented Clive Wratten, chief executive officer of the Business Travel Association.
"Public safety is a priority, but businesses will fail, travelers will be stranded and people's lives will be devastated by the government's lack of coherent plans," he added.
Airlines UK, a union of British airlines, called the measure "premature": "It will hit the sector and passengers long before we have complete data on the Omicron variant".
(Unioneonline / L)
