Airlines begin legal challenge to UK quarantine policy

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - Three of Europe's biggest
airlines began a legal challenge to the British government's
quarantine rules for travellers on Friday, saying they should be
struck down as the rule was disproportionate and been introduced
without consultation.

The legal action by British Airways, easyJet
and Ryanair proceeded came despite the
government saying the policy would be ended for English
holidaymakers to countries such as France, Spain and Italy, but
not the United States.

The government introduced a blanket rule that all travellers
arriving from abroad must self-isolate for 14-days after on June
8, arguing it was a crucial step to avoid a second wave of
COVID-19.

The airlines criticised the decision, saying it dealt a
catastrophic blow to the industry's hopes of recovery after
planes were grounded by the coronavirus pandemic, that they had
not been consulted on the move, and the scientific basis of the
decision had not been made public.

"(The measures were) more severe than the measures imposed
during the height of the lockdown, they're more severe than the
measures imposed on people showing symptoms of COVID-19," Tom
Hickman, the lawyer representing the airlines, told London's
High Court.

"The fact that they are entering the UK from a COVID-19
hotspot could provide some justification, but the mere fact that
they are entering the UK cannot."

In documents released ahead of the court case, government
lawyers said that there was no duty to consult on the policy.

Hickman said that they had hoped to delay the court case so
they could get a list of which countries were to be exempted
from the policy, due to be published later on Friday, but were
proceeding with the case in absence of that information.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Michael Holden)