Transport secretary Grant Shapps defended government quarantine restrictions and declined to give any details on the development of ‘air corridors’ which would allow travel to restart when he lead the government Covid-19 briefing on Friday.
Shapps said: “Most Britons understand we have sacrificed a lot and what we don’t want to do is risk re-importing this, so the idea of quarantine is the right thing to be doing.
“I note it has broad public support.”
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He insisted: “I spend a lot of my time speaking to the whole aviation sector, including on quarantine.
“We have said we will look at whether it would be safe to set up travel corridors and that is something we are actively working on.”
He told reporters: “The first review of this is on June 29, so you will have to wait.
“We are talking to airlines and talking to other countries on it. [But] we must make sure we do not end up with a second wave.
“We will only open up air bridges when it is safe to do so.”
He pledged: “There will be more on this before very long.”
Shapps added: “Air bridges or travel corridors are definitely a possible way forward.
“Clearly, there are countries that have lower levels of infection. but they may be yet to go into this rather than coming out of it.”
Shapps unveiled a new government-backed environmental initiative in aviation, saying: “I’m setting up a Jet Zero Council bringing together industry, airlines, environmental groups to make net zero emissions possible.”
He gave few details, but said: “We aim to demonstrate travel across the Atlantic can be environmentally friendly.”
More: Government urged to clarify travel corridor plans
Analysis: How air corridors will end quarantine
