Airport bosses hit back after Doncaster labelled coronavirus 'high risk'

Doncaster Sheffield Airport bosses have hit back after it was labelled a coronavirus ‘high risk’ on a list of UK airports.
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The Sun reported that a 'blacklist' of 13 UK airports has been drawn up by the European Aviation Safety Agency, which marks out airports in areas with the highest coronavirus infection rates.

Also included alongside Doncaster were airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.

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But airport chiefs have questioned the findings and in a statement said: “We're not confident in the standing of the report and our understanding is that EASA has confirmed the 'blacklist' - that also names Leeds Bradford, East Midlands and Manchester Airport - is not a blacklist, or of its undefined methodology.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport.Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

“We are fully compliant with all relevant regulators such as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Department for Transport (DfT) that determine the policy surrounding UK Airport safety.”

EASA, an EU organisation, said airports not on the list include Edinburgh — the sixth busiest airport in Britain — as well as Belfast, Bristol, Aberdeen, London Southend, Southampton and Cardiff.

EASA has also clarified its position and a pokesman said: “Around the start of the COVID-19 crisis, EASA published a safety directive that gave information on special cleaning procedures for aircraft used on flights to airports/regions with a higher incidence of COVID-19.

“In the last few days, there has been increasing focus on this list with the suggestion that it has some link to travel advisories or quarantine procedures. This is not the case.”