“Landmark day for UK plc” – airlines react to new international travel restrictions
Airlines UK has heralded the UK government’s plans to ease international travel restrictions, which include an end to testing for fully vaccinated inbound passengers, as a “landmark day” for passengers…
Airlines UK has heralded the UK government’s plans to ease international travel restrictions, which include an end to testing for fully vaccinated inbound passengers, as a “landmark day” for passengers and aviation.
The announcement was made yesterday (January 24) and will result in the requirement for fully vaccinated arrivals to take a coronavirus test to be dropped from February 11.
Move offers “further reassurance” for those planning travel
Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, the industry body representing UK-registered carriers, said: “This is a landmark day for passengers, businesses and UK plc. Nearly two years since the initial Covid restrictions were introduced, today’s announcement brings international travel towards near-normality for the fully vaccinated, and at last into line with hospitality and the domestic economy. It will offer further reassurance to those planning to travel, both overseas and into the UK, and demonstrates again that following the success of the vaccine programme, the UK can lead the world in our recovery from the pandemic.
“With the all-important half-term week approaching, passengers should now get booking, and airlines look forward to using the connectivity they’re proud to facilitate to turbo-charge the economic recovery for all of the UK.”
Two jabs needed to be “fully vaccinated”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told LBC radio this morning that the reduced testing and self-isolation requirements for people arriving in the UK would bring international travel ‘back to the good old days.’
He told LBC that two doses of the vaccine and no booster would currently be enough to be categorised as fully vaccinated for travel into the UK: “You will be able to come to this country, and if you’ve been fully vaccinated, in other words two vaccinations, you will not need to take any tests at all, either before you leave to come here or when you get back here. Of course, no quarantine.”
But he warned that booster vaccinations were becoming a requirement to travel to other countries and recommended people come forward to receive the jab. He said: “Increasingly countries elsewhere are requiring the booster for you to go there.
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