Summary
- A brand new program called Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) implemented by the UK immigration authorities requires visa-exempt travelers to use for a permit up to a few days prematurely, causing inconvenience for connecting passengers.
- British Airways CEO Sean Doyle expressed concerns that the ETA scheme makes connecting through London Heathrow less appealing by adding extra costs and potential delays, posing a risk for business travelers and making carriers like British Airways uncompetitive.
- Connecting passengers play a vital role within the success of Heathrow as a mega-hub, allowing London-based travelers to enjoy global connectivity and contributing to the airport’s growth. Passengers traveling to the UK should stay informed about immigration policies to avoid any issues.
A brand new scheme developed by the British immigration authorities to charge visa-exempt travelers passing through Britain a small fee has begun to send shock waves across the industry. This system, which has been known as the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), would require that many travelers apply for a permit up to a few days prematurely and pay £10.
For many traveling to and from Britain, the ETA is little greater than a small fee required to enter the country, and all that’s required is for one to use for the entry document three days prematurely. Nevertheless, for connecting passengers, the brand new system can prove to be quite a hassle.
Unsurprisingly, UK-based airlines that rely heavily on connecting traffic aren’t thrilled with the brand new program. No more clearly were these sentiments echoed than today on the 2023 Airline conference in Westminster by British Airways CEO Sean Doyle.
The Winners and Losers of Latest UK-EU Transit Visa Restrictions
What’s Doyle’s view?
The challenge for Doyle is that the brand new restrictions greatly diminish the appeal of connecting through British Airways’ primary London Heathrow (LHR) hub. Not only does connecting through Heathrow now pose an extra cost, however it also comes together with an extra fear.
If a passenger fails to use for an ETA in time, their journey might be significantly delayed. For business travelers, which is essentially the most critical market demographic for legacy carriers like British Airways, the ETA could simply represent far too high of a risk to contemplate connecting through Heathrow.
Photo: Jarek Kilian | Shutterstock
Sean Doyle’s sentiments were best relayed when discussed within the context of the large amount of traffic connecting through Heathrow. In keeping with UK-based media outlet , nearly 50 % of British Airways’ traffic at Heathrow involves connecting travelers, the vast majority of whom are connecting onwards to the globe’s other mega hubs comparable to Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Istanbul Airport (IST). In his address, Doyle had the next words to share:
“[The ETA could] put carriers like British Airways, who depend on connecting traffic, at a competitive drawback to European hubs. We’d like to ensure by stealth we do not make our industry uncompetitive.”
Other considerations
While many Brits may immediately be surprised that such a hefty amount of traffic flowing through Heathrow never leaves the airport, connecting passengers serves a crucial purpose. By Heathrow maintaining its status as a mega-hub, London-based travelers are in a position to enjoy the advantages of connectivity to cities across the globe. Moreover, without connecting traffic, Heathrow wouldn’t have been in a position to grow as rapidly and efficiently because it has today.
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
There are just a few recent considerations for all passengers traveling to the UK, even in the event that they aren’t connecting through the airport. While an ETA is comparatively easy to acquire, there isn’t any certainty that a document error or another situation is not going to arise that might prevent one from entering the country. In consequence, passengers traveling to or from the UK must you should definitely remain up to this point on all applicable immigration policies.