Matt Hancock: International travel could return sooner if vaccines work against new Covid variants February 23, 2021 The health secretary has left the door open for international travel to return sooner than planned this summer if available vaccines work against emerging Covid variants. Unveiling his roadmap for exiting lockdown yesterday, the Prime Minister said international travel will only resume from 17 May at the earliest. Boris Johnson said the government first needed [...]
Air Partner takes home £11.5m from Covid-related services despite travel restrictions February 22, 2021 While most flights were grounded, aviation group Air Partner has enjoyed a profitable year, taking home £11.5m due to its ferrying of PPE throughout the pandemic. The strong profits followed the group’s buy-up of CHS Engineering (CHS) at the end of 2020, which brough new consultancy services and baggage system testing ahead of new rules [...]
No trace of coronavirus on London Tube or buses, study finds February 19, 2021 No traces of coronavirus have been found in London’s Tubes, buses and stations, according to a wide-ranging new study. Experts from Imperial College London have been taking air and surface samples from journeys on London’s transport network each month since October. Scientists mimicked a typical commuter journey on London’s bus and Tube network, and repeated [...]
Hotel quarantine scheme lifts off as first guests arrive in UK February 15, 2021 England’s hotel quarantine scheme kicked off today as the first passengers touched down at airports around the country for the toughest border protection measures of the pandemic so far. Four coaches of passengers dropped off passengers at the Radisson Blue Edwardian Hotel near Heathrow Airport this morning to start their 10-day stay, as the government [...]
Jet2 raises £422m in fresh cash despite travel restrictions February 12, 2021 British holiday company Jet2 said this morning that it has raised £422m through a new share issue to bolster the company’s finances amid sustained restricted travel. Equal to 20 per cent of its share capital prior to the fundraise, the fundraiser comprised of over 35m placing shares and subscriptions for nearly 600,000 retail shares. “The [...]
Ministers in talks with US and Singapore over international vaccine certificate February 10, 2021 Ministers are in discussions with other countries over the creation of an international vaccine certification system that would allow a partial resumption of travel, the transport secretary has said. Grant Shapps told the BBC he has spoken to his counterparts in the US and Singapore about the creation of an internationally recognisable system of proving [...]
Airline shares tumble as hotel quarantine spells travel chaos until Easter February 9, 2021 Shares in the UK’s largest airlines tumbled more than three per cent this afternoon as the health secretary’s announcement of new hotel quarantine measures spelt prolonged chaos for the travel industry. Easyjet shares fell more than 4.5 per cent to 788p, while Tui shed 4 per cent and British Airways owner IAG dropped 3.3 per [...]
Hotel quarantine to cost £1,750 per person with flouters facing 10 years in jail February 9, 2021 All passengers returning to the UK and Ireland from “red list” countries from Monday must quarantine at a hotel for 10 days at a cost of £1,750 per person, the health secretary has announced. “Any returning citizens will have to quarantine at an assigned hotel room for 10 days —or for longer if they test [...]
No hotel quarantine contracts have been signed with just one week to go until launch February 8, 2021 The government has not signed a single contract with any hotel firms despite its mandatory hotel quarantine policy set to come into effect in just one week’s time. All arrivals to the UK from around 30 “red list” countries will be required by law to quarantine for 10 nights at a government-selected hotel from 15 [...]
On the Beach online sales plummet 85 per cent due to lockdown restrictions February 5, 2021 Online holiday retailer On the Beach remained debt-free despite online sales plummeting 85 per cent in the first quarter due to two lockdowns. Lockdown measures enforced in November and early January drove “very weak” UK travel traffic and bookings, the Group said, with rates down 73 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively. Chief Executive [...]