British Airways, Ryanair, and easyJet have initiated joint legal proceedings against the United Kingdom government in which they are seeking to overturn its recently implemented quarantine rules, British Airways' parent IAG International Airlines Group said in a statement.

The three carriers said they had requested the UK High Court to urgently review the new policy, which took effect on June 8, and to order the government to demonstrate that the policy has scientific justification. According to the airlines, there is no such justification. In addition, the airlines allege that the policy was introduced with no consultation with the industry.

The British government did not immediately respond to the challenge.

The UK introduced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travellers arriving from abroad starting on June 8, almost three months after most European countries started introducing travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of mid-June, most EU states have reduced or even abolished restrictions in relation to travellers within the bloc.

According to the airlines, the "flawed" policy will have "a devastating effect on British tourism and the wider economy". The airlines also said that the proposed "air bridges" between the UK and countries with lower infection rates are not well defined and it is unclear how they would operate in practice.