This is nonsensical from Heathrow. Every single airport they mention is burning money to stay open to burn even more money to stay open to burn yet more money for airlines who cannot make money either! London Hubris Airport, more like...1/n https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/28/heathrow-overtaken-as-europe-largest-airport-by-charles-de-gaulle-london-covid-paris?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

2/n...and if you look at Heathrow's forecasts for years ahead they will STILL be making huge losses. As will the airlines. Yes, aviation jobs need £s support. And clearly for some time, like many sectors across economies worldwide. But maybe mothballing whole parts...

3/n...of a hugely loss-making sector is an option? And as air transport is THE global vector for COVID 19, whatever the industry's pleas for testing instead of quarantine, the systems they are proposing are simply not failsafe. Yes, quarantine is a draconian measure...

4/n...which is the whole idea! And alongside vitally necessary lockdown and travel restrictions, there are severe economic impacts which need to be ameliorated, of course. I cannot travel to Wales from Cheshire right now - should I have at instant test in a layby...

5/n...just outside Chester? You would rightly be laughed at for that suggestion. I have lots of sympathy for any sector up the creek because of this awful global pandemic. And frankly, a more sustainable, greener aviation industry needs to be profitable to invest...

6/n..across all areas to control and reduce its' climate impact. But pre-pandemic, only 30 of the world's made a profit in 2019 (IATA figures). And if social distancing regs were enforced on aircraft, load factors would be around 32% - IATA suggest that at this level...

7/n...only 3 of their airline members would break even. Airports and air traffic service providers apart, airlines struggle to make money. Like any transport business they can find it tricky matching capacity with daily peaks and seasonal peaks and troughs. There are also...

8/n...let's face it, too many loss-making airlines in any event, full stop, period. So here's my suggestions:

1. Consider suspending flights and operations to/from all destinations until they have had a 3 month R rate under 1...

9/n...

2. Mothball aircraft and airport operations on a "'care and maintenance" basis.

3. Think carefully about airfreight operations - this means only essential cargo TBH. If you need socks, buy locally!

10/n...

4. Accept that "travel corridors" do not = profit and not a return to normal. Stop clutching at straws.

5. Yes, you deserve the same level of £s support as other sectors, not more.

6. Yes, aircraft manufacturing should have similar support.

11/n...

7. Aviation creates and supports vital jobs, no doubt about it. But £s support needs to be linked to a greener future. I will return to what this could look like later today.

12/12...

Finally (for now!) STOP with this at-airport testing nonsense. This industry operates in the air on a fail safe safety system run on internationally agreed standards. You need to publicly demonstrate a rigorous risk-assessment for your testing process. I'll wait...