UK officials are in talks with mobile network operators about using their data to aid government efforts to repatriate Britons stranded abroad because of the coronavirus crisis, said three people familiar with the matter.

Britain’s four mobile phone companies and the government are discussing how to use customer roaming data to help charter rescue flights, according to the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Roaming bills could be used to work out how many customers are in different countries, two of the people said.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said March 30 the government has made arrangements with airlines to fly home "tens of thousands” of Britons stranded abroad, when it’s not possible for them to return by commercial flights.

BT Group Plc, Vodafone Group Plc, Telefonica SA and CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd are working with the data regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office, to ensure compliance with data protection laws, one of the people said.

Spokespeople for Vodafone and Telefonica’s O2 referred inquiries to industry lobby group Mobile UK, which said operators are doing what they can to assist government during the pandemic. A BT spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman from CK Hutchison’s Three said the company is in discussions with the government on how it can best assist its efforts to fight the spread of the coronavirus. Spokespeople for the Foreign Office and the ICO weren’t able to provide immediate comment.

Raab advised citizens to return to Britain on March 23. The number of canceled flights and grounded planes since then prompted the government to pledge £75mil to arrange transportation for those unable to use commercial routes.

 - Bloomberg