The letter from trade body Airlines UK, counter-signed by 28 leading figures from across the UK aviation sector, speaks of the "collective and serious concern and frustration" about the quarantine measures announcement by Johnson on Sunday night (10 May).

Signatories include Jet2.com chief executive Steve Heapy; easyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren; Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss; and Ryanair DAC chief executive Edward Wilson.

From the airport sector, meanwhile, the letter is signed by Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association; Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye and Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate, plus 14 other airport chiefs.

"An open-ended quarantine, with no set end date, will make an already critical situation for UK aviation, and all the businesses we support, even worse," said the signatories.

"People will simply choose not to travel to and from the UK at the same time as economies in Europe and around the world begin opening up their borders and removing their own quarantines – making the UK aviation sector unable to compete.

"In short, passenger travel cannot restart, and clarity from government is needed as to whether such an outcome is the intention or expectation of this measure, which was announced without any pre-consultation with the sector.

"Grounding airlines indefinitely will further exacerbate an already devastating economic impact on UK aviation, prolonging the revenue crisis and delaying even further the start of a recovery."

The letter raises concerns over the lack of clarity on key details of the proposals, including the absence of the scientific evidence underpinning it; the geographical scope of the order; what modes of transport it affects beyond aviation; how it can be enforced; the conditions that must be met for it to be withdrawn; and what further measures the government will put in place to support those working in aviation.

"It is vital aviation has a roadmap to normality," the letter adds. "Any quarantine must be limited and short in duration, kept under permanent review, and applied only in the absence of workable, evidence-led and risk-based alternatives.

Airlines UK added the sector was working with the government "at pace" to agree health protocols, such as the wearing of face masks and pre-flight temperature checks, that could be implemented at UK airports to allow flying to resume.

"Agreeing new such health protocols to get aviation going again should be the priority for the coming days, removing any need for wholesale quarantine measures," said the letter.

"We believe this is the right approach, permitting a cautious, controlled restart to passenger air travel, unlike a quarantine which takes no account of the status of the outbreak at the point of departure to the UK, nor the effectiveness of any other health measures applied to passengers."

Airlines UK is seeking an urgent meeting with the PM to discuss the measures.