Jet2, Ryanair, TUI and easyJet have reported a surge in bookings for foreign travel following the decision to drop testing and self-isolation requirements for people arriving in England.
From February 11, fully vaccinated arrivals will no longer need to take a coronavirus test, and the requirement for those not in that category to self-isolate will be dropped.
Following the announcement, several holiday and flight providers announced a rise in bookings, especially for trips away this summer.
READ MORE: Covid infections fall for the third week running in city region areas
It is hoped the travel rules from February 11 will remain in place over the holiday period.
However, several destinations still require arrivals from the UK to take a coronavirus test, even if they are fully vaccinated.
These include Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, mainland Portugal, Switzerland and the US.
Here's the latest news from Jet2, Ryanair, TUI and easyJet.
Ryanair
Ryanair has slashed the price of airfares after a surge of holiday bookings.
During the three last months of 2021, it said, 31.1 million passengers travelled on its planes, nearly four times more than a year earlier.
And it is also showing confidence going into the vital summer season. This summer Ryanair is selling 14% more tickets than it had in the last summer before covid, in 2019.
However, the company is having to discount more tickets to get passengers on board, so its expected losses have gone from between 100 million euro and 200 million euro (£83 million to £166 million) to a new forecast of between 250 million euro and 450 million euro.
From Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Ryanair passengers can fly to Copenhagen and Paris for just £7.99.
easyJet
EasyJet will operate its largest number of flights between the UK and beach destinations this summer as coronavirus restrictions ease.
With sales "performing very well", the low-cost airline's capacity compared with 2019 levels will be more than doubled on routes to Turkey and up 36% for Greece, according to chief executive Johan Lundgren.
The carrier said it has seen a "step change" in bookings since the January 5 announcement that pre-departure Covid testing would be scrapped for fully vaccinated arrivals entering England. Demand was buoyed further by last week's news of restriction-free travel from February 11.
Mr Lundgren said the UK is "leading on bookings versus Europe for the first time since spring 2020".
It is "traditional beach and leisure destinations that are recovering the quickest", he said.
TUI
Andrew Flintham, managing director at tour operator Tui, said the announcement was "a huge leap forwards in getting travel back to normal".
He went on: "The relaxation of testing rules has already resulted in an increase in bookings, with customer confidence growing every day in recent weeks.
"We now look to the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to adopt the same approach.
"Many families look to go on holiday over the February half-term, so we are delighted these changes will come into effect in time. Going abroad will finally start to feel more normal again and without the added expense of testing."
Mr Flintham said he expects holidays bookings for this summer to be "back to pre-pandemic levels".
Jet2
Airline Jet2.com and tour operator Jet2holidays reported a "notable increase in demand for holidays and flights" after the new policy was revealed, according to chief executive Steve Heapy.
Traditional hotspots such as Spanish islands, mainland Spain, Italy and Portugal are all proving popular with customers.
Mr Heapy said: "Before [the] announcement demand was already strong, however, bookings have jumped by another 30% when compared with the previous week, demonstrating just how much of a game-changer the removal of all testing is for fully vaccinated holidaymakers.
"With international travel starting to look like it did before the pandemic, customers are jumping at the chance to book their flights and holidays."
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