“We urge Ministers to streamline the system to get travel levels and the economic activity safely back to pre-pandemic levels, otherwise the UK will continue to lose trade and face lower levels of foreign tourism, impacting jobs and slowing the UK’s economic recovery.”
Heathrow passenger numbers were down -71% in August versus the same month pre-pandemic with Heathrow citing “the ever-changing restrictions, expensive and unnecessary testing requirements and lack of a common approach across borders” as a hindrance to recovery.
From being the busiest airport in Europe in 2019, Heathrow is now ranked tenth, with Schiphol, Paris and Frankfurt among those recovering at a faster pace. Heathrow Airport said: “The current traffic light system is an outlier and is delaying the government’s Global Britain ambitions, handing rivals a competitive advantage while the UK loses market share.”
Heathrow’s proposals, supported by major airlines and the wider travel and tourism industry, are for the government to remove the amber list and create a simpler two-tier system – a green list and red list, retaining hotel quarantine.
“Ministers must recognize the success of the global vaccination programme and move…
