Robert Courts to meet with Balpa following “completely out of touch” comments
Aviation minister Robert Courts has agreed to meet with the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa), after the union’s general secretary Martin Chalk criticised him for being “completely out of touch” regarding the state of British aviation
“It was obvious from all the contributions on Monday’s Airlines 2021 conference that the industry is desperate for the government to start working more closely with them,” Chalk said today.
“Robert Courts has now heard our call and agreed to meet Balpa in the new year, which can’t come soon enough.
“What the government can do in the mean time is help boost passenger confidence by simplifying the overbearing and expensive testing and passenger location systems that are a barrier to international travel.”
Chalk had initially told the Independent in an exclusive that Courts “seemed to be on a different page to the rest of the industry.”
“The industry is talking about being behind in the UK compared to Europe, and he seemed unwilling to accept that.”
Chalk’s comments came after Courts said there had been “a lot of good news for the aviation industry over the past few weeks”, while speaking at the Airlines 2021 conference in Westminster.
“The UK aviation sector will emerge in a better place than it’s been in the past,” Courts said. “We want to make sure the sector bounces back as soon and as far as possible.”
Chalk also accused Courts of sticking his hand in the sand when it comes to Heathrow falling down European rankings.
“For me, the minister needs to get around the table with the industry and actually start being a partner, rather than either a cheerleader or completely out of touch.”
Hitting back at the accusations, a Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Our utmost priority is protecting the safety and health of the public, and we will not compromise on ensuring passengers comply with the health measures necessary to keep us all safe.
“The department and ministers have met extensively with the sector’s leadership throughout the pandemic, including through our experts working group, and continue to have regular conversations with the sector as together we build its recovery.”