Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports, operator of Southampton, Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, said the government was failing to respond to the aviation industry’s calls for coronavirus testing at airports and regional travel corridors, and was effectively "overseeing the demise of UK aviation".

“We are not getting any response back from the government," Provan told the BBC, adding that this lack of action was causing “huge frustration” to a sector already being forced to make tens of thousands of job cuts.

While Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye urged the government to change its approach to air travel.

"I think the government has been very cautious, really focusing on the health crisis and yet we have an unemployment crisis looming,” he added.

"The UK government needs to get behind testing as an alternative to quarantine to save millions of jobs in this country."

Heathrow has set up a pilot project to trial Covid testing but it is not currently operating as these tests have not yet been approved by the government.

Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, agreed that testing was "essential" as a way of helping the economy to rebound from the impact of the pandemic.

"Without free and fast travel with the US, we won’t see a rebound of aviation and this will stall the economic recovery of the UK, which of course is already in recession," he said.