A new scheme imposing additional administrative elements on travellers passing through Britain will damage the UK aviation industry’s competitiveness, the CEO of British Airways has warned.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) document, first announced in March 2023, will cost £10 and will be gradually phased in over the course of two years from November onwards. According to the Home Office, ‘the ETA scheme is broadly for visitors who do not need a visa for short stays to the UK, or do not already have a UK immigration status prior to travelling’.
However, CEO of British Airways Sean Doyle has condemned the ETA (which can take up to three days to be processed) as “putting carriers … who rely on connecting traffic, at a competitive disadvantage to European hubs,” adding that “we need to make sure by stealth we don’t make our industry uncompetitive”.
The ETA scheme opened last week to Qatari nationals, and will be extended to citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Amab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan from February 2024 – despite concern from industry bodies Airlines UK and the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK).
Reinforcing the need to “enhance border security by increasing [their] knowledge of those seeking to come to the UK,” a Home Office spokesperson clarified that an ETA would “stop people who may use connecting flights to avoid gaining permission to travel to the UK”.
The ETA, which will replace the Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) scheme, will permit multiple journeys to the UK over two years or until the holder’s passport expires (whichever is sooner).