A representative body for airlines based in Britain has written to its transport minister seeking industry-specific tax and air traffic fee holidays to help survive a coronavirus pandemic that has brought air travel to a standstill.
easyJet , IAG-owned British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have no revenue coming in, forcing them to ground hundreds of planes, and putting thousands of jobs and the future of the sector at risk.Airlines UK asked Transport Minister Grant Shapps for a six-month suspension in air passenger duty, and a waiver of air traffic control and related charges through the rest of 2020, as well as relief from EU flight compensation rules.
The request came after Finance Minister Rishi Sunak's blow to hopes for a specific aviation rescue package when he said the government would only provide support if airlines could not raise capital from other sources, such as existing investors.