British Airways' parent company IAG is considering launching a legal challenge against the UK government's looming 14-day quarantine rule for incoming travellers.
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Willie Walsh, the chief executive of IAG, told Sky News on Friday there had been no consultation with the industry before the legislation was brought in, and the new rules would ruin the airline's chances of flying in July.
"We think it is irrational, we think it is disproportionate and we are giving consideration to a legal challenge to this legislation," Walsh said.
"I wrote to MPs (lawmakers) last night to say this initiative has in effect torpedoed our opportunity to get flying in July."
Walsh expected other airlines to follow suit.
The quarantine rule states that from 8 June, those arriving in Britain from abroad need to stay at home for 14 days, deterring people from booking holidays in a huge setback for the embattled travel industry.
British Airways, along with rivals such as easyJet and Ryanair, had been hoping to resume flights in July after a three-month period in which most aircraft had been grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Any legal challenge would be an escalation of the row with ministers after IAG and the head of British Airways declined to attend a meeting on Thursday with the UK interior minister.
British Airways also came under attack from lawmakers in parliament earlier this week over the 12,000 job cuts it was planning to make. It says it needs to axe staff as the travel market will be smaller after coronavirus.
Walsh told Sky News no decisions had been made on the redundancies yet and urged unions to attend consultation meetings over the job cuts. IAG also owns Iberia and Aer Lingus.
Australian Associated Press
