The airlines operating in the UK are complaining about Britain being overly cautious. Evidently other nations restarted flights much earlier. Report on NPR was that the airlines were losing $200 million a day they were shut down.

I suspect that this is one of those times when government is going to get thrashed either way. Damned if they do, damned if they don't. They have to make the call and expect the complaints.

It has to be pointer out that, as one person put it on the radio, 'It is better to be on the ground wishing you were flying than flying wishing you were on the ground'.

Modern jet aircraft have roughly the same glide characteristics as a brick if all the engines stop. Even one engine out is a flight emergency. Also that $200 million would just about make the down payments on the legal costs of 200 people dead in a plane crash. And that only if it comes down in a friendly, uninhabited, area. Take out a high-rise full of people or a nuclear power plant while struggling to make the airport and things could get downright expensive.