The latest in aviation and industrial news from around the world READ MORE Keep your details up to date BALPA can only communicate quickly and effectively with you if we have your correct details. Its easy to update your membership info by going to the members area at www.balpa.org or you can send an email to RepsandMemberServices@balpa.org. Please ensure you give us your membership number and full name, as well as the information you need to change. Alternatively, call the membership team on 020 8476 4000. Government urged to give green light to more travel Holidaymakers were given an opportunity to avail themselves of some summer sunshine as the UK governments announced a traffic-light system for travel in May. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all introduced new guidance that has allowed people to travel to some overseas destinations without needing to quarantine on their return. Notable additions to the initial green list were Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), Iceland and Gibraltar. Shortly before this edition of The Log was published, however, Portugal was removed from the green list and put on the amber list of countries from which returning travellers must quarantine at home for 10 days. The move highlights that international travel remains precarious and another uncertain summer lies ahead. UK-based airlines initially reported a huge surge in bookings, notably to Portugal, with easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways all laying on extra flights to cope with the high demand. After Portugals removal from the green list, however, share prices in airlines and travel operators fell, with IAG the parent company of British Airways easyJet and Jet2 all down 5%, while Ryanair dropped 2.6% and Tui 3%. The limited and seemingly shrinking green list has left many British tourist hotspots on the amber list. EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren dubbed the government guidance as confusing. Speaking to The Guardian, he said: The traffic light system was there to make sure that there was a safe and sustainable plan to restart travel, and thats why different restrictions were applied. Now, there is different advice. We fly to amber countries, there are restrictions in place to make it safe to do so, and there is demand to do so. People should be free to travel without any guilt, but the messaging has been confusing. Amber has turned into red. If there are countries the government doesnt want people to go to, then it should put them on the red list. Reacting to the announcement of the green-list countries, Brian Strutton, BALPA General Secretary, said: This excess of caution from the government is extremely disappointing for everyone who works in the travel sector and the millions of people who are desperate to jet away on holiday or for business. The huge success of the vaccine rollout in the UK, the ever-growing vaccination rates in Europe, and the massive effort from everyone to make travel Covid-safe should have meant a much longer green list than what we have. With new variants emerging and the effectiveness of various vaccines under close scrutiny, notably from the Delta (previously the Indian) variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that the travel list is under constant review. He said: We will have no hesitation in moving countries from the green list to the amber list to the red list, if we have to do so. With clear evidence for consumer demand, industry leaders including BALPA are urging the government to be proactive in its attempts to aid travel recovery. Strutton added: The government has at least committed to review the categories regularly. Tourists are sat gazing at the amber light, revving their engines, desperate to travel, safe in the knowledge that their jabs will protect them. The government must flick those amber lights to green as soon as it possibly can. BALPA calls for inquiry into forced landing READ MORE Keep your details up to date BALPA strongly supports the stance of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA) and the European Cockpit Association (ECA) on the forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978 in Minsk, Belarus, on 23 May. Peaceful civil aviation is guaranteed under international law. If the intervention of the Belarusian Air Force was enacted for political reasons, in contravention of the Chicago Convention, this amounts to an act of unlawful interference, bearing all the hallmarks of state-sponsored hijacking. BALPA, alongside our international organisations, is calling for an independent inquiry into this occurrence, and an appropriate immediate response by safety and security authorities. We also call upon the airline to provide full support to the pilots and cabin crew on board, during the future investigation and regarding their physical and mental wellbeing after such a challenging and stressful event. Goodbye to Richard The Log Board is bidding a fond farewell to Richard Toomer, Head of Communications and External Relations at BALPA. Richard has worked tirelessly for the organisation and alongside The Log team, and his commitment during his 10-year tenure has been outstanding. He will be sorely missed by the whole team. Richard leaves us to work for the Royal Aeronautical Society, where we wish him all the very best in his new venture. A new head of communications and external relations will be appointed in due course. NEWS Upfront
