UK to discuss support for aviation industry - minister

Britain's government will discuss later on Monday how to help its aviation industry after major airlines including Virgin Atlantic and easyJet said the state would need to step in to prevent it collapsing over coronavirus. Transport minister Grant Shapps said the government understood it was dealing with a crisis like never before.

"We know that aviation of course is at the forefront in many ways because the first thing that stops is travel internationally," he told Sky News. "We want to make sure that companies ... who are in a good state are able to continue. I'll be discussing them with the chancellor and the prime minister later today and those discussions with the sector are ongoing."