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* Move aimed at avoiding second peak of coronavirus pandemic
* Airlines say measure needs 'credible exit plan'
* Airports say it could be devastating for aviation industry
* PM Johnson to detail Britain's next steps on Sunday
(Adds comment from transport minister, Balpa, updated death
toll)
By James Davey
LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - The British government has told
airlines it will introduce a 14-day quarantine period for most
people arriving from abroad to try to avoid a second peak of the
coronavirus outbreak, an association representing the airlines
said on Saturday.
Airlines UK, which represents British Airways,
easyJet and other UK carriers, said the move required "a
credible exit plan" and should be reviewed weekly. Airport
operators said it could have a "devastating" impact on the
aviation industry and the broader economy.
The quarantine plan was first reported by The Times
newspaper, which said Prime Minister Boris Johnson would
announce on Sunday that passengers arriving at airports and
ports, including Britons returning from abroad, would have to
self-isolate for a fortnight.
Under measures that are likely to come into force in early
June, travellers will have to provide the address at which they
will self-isolate on arrival, The Times said.
"These measures will help protect the British public and
reduce the transmission of the virus as we move into the next
phase of our response," The Times quoted a government source as
saying.
Johnson's Downing Street office and the interior ministry
declined comment.
At the government's daily news briefing, transport minister
Grant Shapps did not confirm the quarantine plans but said, with
the UK infection rate down, "it clearly then makes sense to look
at what happens at the borders".
Ireland has had similar measures in place since last month.
Johnson is due to announce on Sunday the next steps in
Britain's battle to tackle the pandemic following a review by
ministers of lockdown measures that have all but shut down the
economy and kept millions at home for nearly seven weeks.
'UNBELIEVABLE CAUTION'
Airport operators said a quarantine would compound damage
done by the virus to the aviation industry as it would put
people off travelling when lockdown restrictions are lifted.
"Quarantine would not only have a devastating impact on the
UK aviation industry, but also on the wider economy," said Karen
Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association.
"If the government believes quarantine is medically
necessary, then it should be applied on a selective basis
following the science, there should be a clear exit strategy and
the economic impact on key sectors should be mitigated."
Airlines UK said it would seek assurances that the move is
"led by the science" and that airlines would need support
measures to ensure the aviation sector gets through the
quarantine period.
Pilots union Balpa said it was concerned the commercial
impact of a quarantine scheme had not been thought through by
the government.
The Times report said travellers from Ireland, the Channel
Islands and the Isle of Man would be exempt from the quarantine,
as would lorry drivers bringing crucial supplies.
It said the authorities would carry out spot checks and
those found to be breaking the rules would face fines or
deportation.
Britain has reported 31,587 deaths from the coronavirus and
Shapps said Johnson would not announce any dramatic changes to
Britain's lockdown on Sunday.
"We will have to proceed with an unbelievable degree of
caution, we will not be able to go back to business as usual,"
he said.
($1 = 0.8060 pounds)
(Reporting by James Davey, additional reporting by Estelle
Shirbon in London and Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru, Editing by
Ros Russell and Timothy Heritage)
