Prior to the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19, the term ‘unprecedented’ was as rare as its meaning, only really uttered for the sake of hyperbole if at all.
Now this phrase has become more commonplace in everyday life than discussions about the weather, because it really is the best way to describe what we are all living through.
‘Self-isolating’, ‘social-distancing’ and ‘furlough’ were all phrases that would have seemed peculiar to use at the start of the year.
Now they’ve become instinctual as we all stay indoors and limit interactions to help curb the spread of this disease.
John Holland-Kaye, who is development director and designate CEO at Heathrow, in the new Terminal 2, The Queen Terminal, at Heathrow Airport on its first day of operation
These measures have taken their toll on a number of sectors, but few more so than aviation.
It is not just about taking us on our summer holidays.
Millions of tourists fly in every year to enjoy the sights across Britain (and spend billions on hotels, restaurants and theatres), as well as international students and business people.
Many of the business people you may see in an airport are part of an export industry of services, in which Britain is a leader.
Others are travelling to set up export deals that keep Britain’s factories busy.
And if you are on a long haul plane to New York, Tokyo or Mexico City you might not realise that under your feet are the goods that Britain exports.
Passengers from the Holland America Line ship Zaandam walk through arrivals in Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport, after flying back on a repatriation flight from Florida on April 4
Fresh Scottish salmon, high tech engineering parts, pharmaceuticals.
Anything high value, with a short shelf life, or which is required ‘just in time’ goes in a box on a plane, not a container on a ship.
That is why we remain open for emergency flights carrying urgent PPE for the NHS (such as this week’s brilliant Mail Force airlift) and to repatriate Brits stranded abroad, and visitors stranded in the UK.
Britain’s global supply chain relies on daily long haul passenger flights to our main trading partners, which is why Heathrow handles 40 per cent of British exports. These trade routes are only viable if passengers are flying.
Every time we open a new destination for passengers, we open a new market for Britain’s exporters. But the opposite is also true.
When people stop flying, our economy dries up. If aviation doesn’t restart before July, there will be no tourists this season (and no summer holidays for us).
Aviation has been hit extremely hard by the coronavirus lockdown as many trade routes are also only viable if passengers are flying
But, perhaps more importantly, without long haul passenger flights, factories will be idle, salmon won’t be farmed, drugs won’t get to the people who need them.
An unprecedented health crisis could become an unprecedented social and economic crisis.
Once the lockdown is lifted, and the threat of Covid-19 is brought under control we need to get Britain flying again.
The biggest priority will be safety, for passengers and aviation workers – which means visible and consistent checks at airports.
That is why we are calling for the UK Government to take control in setting a Common International Standard for aviation health screening, just as they have done for security screening.
This will probably require a package of measures to be agreed between countries to ensure that everyone is safe when they leave and safe when they arrive.
There will certainly be minimal contact in the airport between passengers and staff, excellent hygiene standards, and wider use of PPE – maybe we will all use face masks when we travel.
There has been talk about social distancing on planes.
That would cut the number of seats by half, pushing up the cost, making travel inaccessible for hard-working families and deeming many routes unviable.
While it may work for a month or so, it is not the answer for the next 12 to 18 months while the world waits at home for a vaccine.
A better solution may be to make sure that only low-risk passengers get into the airport in the first place, with checks either away from the airport before you fly, or as you enter the airport.
And above all, they need to be consistent, unlike the checks we are seeing in airports across the world today.
Britain’s global supply chain relies on daily long haul passenger flights to main trading partners, with Heathrow handling 40 per cent of British exports
Right now, the Government has the opportunity to take urgent action in this area, ensuring that this unparalleled challenge is met with an equally striking, strategic and well-researched approach.
They must act fast and set out what the future of bio-security will look like that will ensure safe travel when non-essential journeys start, giving the economy the best chance of a reset.
Predictions are being made of a world in which ‘social-distancing’ is the new normal, where holidays, celebrations, reunions, travel and economic growth are put on hold indefinitely.
Our Government can prevent this dystopian future becoming a reality by combating this challenge head on with an unprecedented response.
As Her Majesty the Queen said, ‘We will meet again’, but only if her Government takes decisive action now.