Stoplae has already reported here that holidaymakers were flouting the law to stay with relatives, both in the UK and abroad, and to visit second homes. Now, in a surprising admission, Wizz Air boss Mr Váradi suggests it is all true, as his airline continues to add services at Luton Airport while the town and country remain in lockdown.
In an interview with the BBC, Mr Váradi indicated that some people are now flying to visit relatives, to their second homes or because “they just want to break out of the current lockdown”.
While Luton Borough Council and its airport are complicit with the massive breaches of government regulations and the Law, the Council Leader, Hazel Simmons , is still urging its own residents to follow government advice. In a statement sent to every Luton household she said:
“Please can I urge you to keep following government advice in order to protect your family”
Advice the Council, it would seem, does not want holidaymakers and second-home owners to follow if they fly through Luton Airport.
This is just the latest example of a Council that excels in total hypocrisy. A Council that is motivated by trying to reduce stunning airport losses that are being inflicted on the town’s taxpayers, who now face an emergency Council budget to try and avoid going bankrupt. A Council that has lent its airport hundreds of millions of pounds it never had for pre-airport expansion work, and a Council that appears to be out of control with no fiscal discipline regarding its airport.
Meanwhile we wonder what the airport operator (LLAOL) now has to say. On May 5th airport management released the following statement: “London Luton Airport remains open for dedicated repatriation, medical and military flights and General Aviation”, and “Wizz Air has resumed a select number of flights for those with an essential reason to travel”
No mention from them about visiting friends and family or going on holiday – but then, we would argue, they would rather you did not know the truth.