Balpa said its members were lacking details of any proposed health and safety measures to protect workers involved in the repatriation, as well as details of any financial support provided to the airlines taking part in the effort.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab on Monday (30 March) said the government would pledge £75 million funding for a repatriation operation. He confirmed Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, Jet2.com and Titan Airways were among the carriers involved, adding British Airways had agreed to work with the government “in the national interest” to get Britons home.
Raab also stressed other airlines were expected to join in the effort. Any Britons currently overseas are urged to first consider any viable commercial means of getting home by checking with airlines directly and following guidance from the Foreign Office and local embassies.
If there are no commercial options, travellers can sign up for alerts for their location from the FCO and follow the relevant embassies on social media to be made aware of when any “special return flights” become available.
Balpa though said the government’s pledge to bring Britons home at “little or no cost” to them raised questions over how the effort would be financed “with UK airlines already on their knees” due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
EasyJet on Monday confirmed it would shortly ground its entire fleet, while the majority of UK-based or operational carriers have significantly cut flying schedules due to the restrictions arising from the pandemic and a lack of demand.
The union has also called for reassurances on the PPE, personal protective equipment, that will be provided to airline staff taking part in the repatriation effort.
“The cost involved in bringing hundreds of thousands of people home will be incredible,” said Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton.
“Our airlines are already struggling to cope financially, and the government’s promised financial support is yet to materialise. Will the government be covering the cost of bringing people home, or is it expecting the airlines to bear the brunt?
“We also need to ensure all staff involved in the repatriation efforts are provided with protective equipment – the safety of our colleagues is a key priority. Yet there has been no discussion or consultation with us to provide this assurance.”
