The UK government has come under criticism from Heathrow Airport for “curtailing the UK’s connectivity” by rolling out the red tape for visitors in transit. This refers to the UK government’s border control requirement for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for passengers in transit.
Not only does ETA cost an additional £10 (R231) over and above the airfare, it also needs up to three days to process. The ETA form requires applicants to provide their biographic, biometric and contact details, and answer ‘suitability questions’, even though they are only passing through the airport.
According to independent.co.uk, the airport says ministers should take a “cross-government” approach to policymaking that supports UK aviation’s global competitiveness.
Says a Heathrow spokesperson: “We are already seeing an impact. In the first four months of ETAs being in place, 19 000 fewer transit passengers travelled from Qatar, with the transfer route recording its lowest monthly proportions for over 10 years each month since the implementation of ETAs. This is a huge blow to UK competitiveness as many long-haul routes, which are highly important to the UK’s economy, exports and wider connectivity, rely on transit passengers.
It is expected that Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris CDG, who do not have this transit blanket rule, will be the beneficiaries of the UK action, as people opt for a less onerous transit.
ETA currently applies to nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The roll-out will continue throughout 2024.
A government spokesperson said the policy ensured they government was making the border more secure, and stopped people who might use connecting flights to enter the UK when they did not have permission.
The scrapping of tax-free shopping has also been heavily criticised, with Heathrow claiming a lot of revenue is lost through this opportunity being closed. Tax-free shopping was ended in 2021, and VAT refunds on purchases by visitors to Britain ended simultaneously.
A government spokesperson said: “VAT-free shopping remains available for all non-UK visitors buying items in store and having them sent directly to their overseas address.”
