EasyJet, TUI, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have updated their rules as travel restrictions come to an end.
All remaining coronavirus travel measures including passenger locator forms will end on Friday, the Transport Secretary has said, in a move that will make foreign holidays easier even as coronavirus cases rise in the UK. Grant Shapps said on Monday that the changes, which also include the requirement for unvaccinated people to be tested for Covid-19 before entering the UK, will "mean greater freedom in time for Easter".
After a meeting with senior ministers, he said the measures will end for travel to the UK from 4am on Friday under the Government's plans for "living with Covid".
READ MORE: Spain, France, Greece and Portugal travel rules ahead of Easter break
Mr Shapps said: "These changes are possible due to our vaccine rollout and mean greater freedom in time for Easter."
The move comes as coronavirus infections were rising in all four UK nations for the first time since the end of January, with levels in Scotland already at a record high, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics. The numbers for hospital patients with Covid were also rising, up 19% week-on-week in England.
Hospital admissions with coronavirus in England remain well below the peaks reached during the Omicron and previous waves, while in Scotland the figure was close to the record peak seen in January last year. The time-consuming passenger locator forms require people to fill in travel details, their address in the UK and vaccination status.
They have been used to track people after outbreaks of the virus. They are currently required by all arrivals coming to the UK from outside Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
What have easyJet, TUI, BA and other airlines said?
Johan Lundgren, easyJet chief executive, said: "This welcome move by the UK Government marks a return to truly restriction-free flying to and from the UK, giving an extra boost to travel this Easter."
A Virgin Atlantic spokesman said: "The removal of all remaining UK travel restrictions, including the passenger locator form, is the final important step towards frictionless air travel, helping to further restore consumer confidence as we welcome more customers back to the skies this spring and summer."
In a tweet, TUI said: "Holidays just got easier... Again. From 4am on Friday, UK re-entry forms and tests are out." TUI also confirmed face masks will no longer be a legal requirement on TUI Airways flights to and from England and Northern Ireland.
From Wednesday, face coverings will only be required on British Airways flights when a country has its own “restrictions and legal requirements”, such as in the United States.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
