LEEDS Bradford Airport is joining today’s Travel Day of Action to call on the government to reopen travel and provide additional financial support.

Airports, travel agents, pilots, tour operators and cabin crew are among the thousands of people who will ‘speak up for travel’ today.

LBA passenger numbers are down more than 90 per cent due to the pandemic and on-going uncertainty surrounding travel restrictions. LBA says prior to the pandemic it contributed £377 million to the local economy, and supported around 5,230 jobs.

A range of events and activities will happen across the UK including 800 people attending an organised lobby outside Parliament in London, 200 people at an event in Holyrood in Edinburgh and 100 will gather in Belfast.

Vincent Hodder, CEO of Leeds Bradford Airport, said: "Aviation has been impacted on a global scale due to the pandemic and there remains more uncertainty for international travel; the Government’s approach is impairing our ability to meaningfully reopen aviation in the UK and our ability to reach sustainable volumes of customers. Travel can be safely reopened using the Government’s framework - other countries have done this. The UK is falling behind."