Brits abroad! Air bridges to save summer
FOREIGN summer holidays will return thanks to a network of air bridges, a tour operator boss vowed yesterday.
Andrew Flintham, managing director of TUI UK and Ireland, said the arrangements will allow those deflated by three months of lockdown to escape the gloom.
Reciprocal deals with sunshine hotspots are set to be announced on Monday, paving the way for families to finally grab a beach break abroad.
Writing for the Daily Express today, Mr Flintham said: “We’re confident they’re now finalising air bridge agreements, which will effectively save the summer for Brits.
“We feel positive about our plans to resume a small summer holiday programme from July 11.”
Buoyant
Government officials are thrashing out deals with lowthreat Covid-19 countries, meaning families will not have to quarantine for 14 days when they return home using agreed international travel corridors.
Yesterday, the beleaguered travel industry – in limbo since lockdown was implemented on March 23 – was buoyant about the getaway season starting in a matter of days.
EasyJet and Eurotunnel both reported a surge in demand ahead of the travel ban being lifted.
TUI, sister company of First Choice, flies more than six million people on holiday each year. Yesterday, the company said bookings were up 43 per cent on last week.
It plans to fly customers from Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham to the popular Greek islands of Crete, Rhodes, Kos and Corfu. In addition, holidaymakers can travel to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Mallorca and Ibiza.
Currently, all but essential international travel is off-limits, which has made the great annual getaway impossible for most. But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is set to save summer when he unveils the new travel plans next week.
Air bridges will require tourists to obey social distancing rules in the countries they are visiting.
It would also free foreign tourists from having to selfisolate on arrival in the UK.
An easyJet spokesman said:
“We plan to fly around 30 per cent of our normal summer July to September flights.The airline plans to fly 50 per cent of its 1,022 routes in July and 75 per cent in August and from July 1 the airline’s schedule will build to around 500 flights a day across its European network, including over 900 flights a week to and from the UK.”
Low-cost airline Jet2, which flies to Malaga, Lanzarote, Ibiza, Almeria, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Menorca, is set to restart on July 15.
John Hays, managing director of independent agent Hays Travel, said: “New bookings are increasing by the day. Most of those at the moment are for later in the year or 2021.
“However, many customers have made inquiries about holi
days for this summer and are waiting to see if the guidance will change. Speaking to colleagues across the country it is clear there is significant demand to get away this summer.”
Eurotunnel said: “Our bookings for summer are going up so fast we are having to bring in agency staff to cover the phones. It looks like people have already factored in an international travel corridor with France from early July and, as a consequence, we are preparing to increase our passenger capacity to cope with the demand.”
Money saving expert Martin Lewis said: “If you’re willing to take a small gamble on booking pre-announcement, after which it is possible prices will start to rise, you may be able to bag a bargain.”
The Department for Transport said yesterday: “International travel corridors remain an option under consideration by the Government.”