Dobson on Thursday (20 May) echoed calls from the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) for Scotland’s testing system, which both the SPAA and Barrhead say is costing Scottish travellers twice as much as those in England, to be brought into line.
"Throughout the entire pandemic and its fallout, we have been calling consistently for two things to be prioritised – safety and parity," said Barrhead president Dobson. "We recognise the perceived risks associated with international travel and have done everything in our power to ensure the safety of our customers has been at the heart of our response.
"However, we also need there to be parity for all areas of the UK, regardless of where you live. That’s why we’ve consistently called for a four nations approach that will ensure a level playing field for everyone – travellers, travel agents, operators and airlines.
"Without that level playing field and four nations approach, discrepancies begin to emerge and the overarching aim – safety – is jeopardised."
Dobson branded the current situation facing Scottish travellers "utterly unsustainable". "The testing regime implemented by the Scottish government results in Scottish travellers being charged more than twice as much as those travelling from England and this cannot continue.
"If it does continue, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Scottish travellers will simply refuse to travel from Scottish airports and will instead make the journey to England where the costs are far lower."
Dobson said the lack of joined-up thinking would leave Scottish businesses and travellers at a disadvantage, and risked jeopardising the UK’s recovery from Covid-19.
"We would warmly welcome engagement with government to discuss this further to ensure we have a system that is fit for purpose," said Dobson. "We all want to see Scotland, and the rest of the UK, emerge from this pandemic as soon as possible. Let’s work together to ensure that happens sooner rather than later."
