Spain Quarantine Pushes Airlines Back Toward the Abyss
As the new British travel quarantine on Spain shows, a tentative recovery in flight bookings could quickly be snuffed out.
Not enough for the Brits.
Photographer: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFPThe northern hemisphere’s summer was supposed to bring respite from the worst crisis anyone in the aviation industry can remember. Airlines used the lockdown period to put in place hygiene measures that they hoped would restore customer confidence and help prevent a second coronavirus wave. Restarting travel was risky, but southern European economies depend on tourism. They couldn’t afford a summer of empty sunbeds and restaurant terraces.
So Britain’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine on holidaymakers returning from Spain — after a spike in cases in the Barcelona region — is about the worst news imaginable for the beleaguered travel industry.