Discussions are believed to be ongoing between the UK sector and companies that may be able to arrange flights from countries such as China and India to ensure students are able to avoid potential complications caused by a lack of scheduled services due to the pandemic.
Flying a large charter aircraft from somewhere like Beijing is thought to cost about £900 per person if the flight is full, potentially less than a scheduled service.
But there are many other challenges around arranging such flights, such as securing agreement from authorities at each end, transferring students to campuses, and supporting them through any quarantine period.
UK universities are believed to be thinking about clubbing together in regional groups to offer such a service and spread any risks.
