Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the lockdown restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic on the airline industry over the Christmas period.

The Government is in regular contact with the aviation sector to understand their passenger forecasts and financial projections, including regarding the impact of COVID-19 over the Christmas period. Airlines are putting in appropriate operations to meet any increase in demand over Christmas, during which the Government have has agreed to lift travel restrictions from 23 – 27 December.

Firms can also continue to draw upon the unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor, including schemes to raise capital, tax deferrals, and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).

The Government announced on 5 November that the CJRS will be extended until March 2021 and furloughed employees will continue to receive 80% of their current salary. This will continue to protect jobs across in the UK in the difficult winter months.

The national restrictions as a result of the pandemic have not changed the way we engage regularly with the sector. We continue an open dialogue as we work towards our shared ambition of getting aviation up and running again in a safe and secure way.