Thousands jetting off to reunions in America
THOUSANDS are expected to head for long-awaited reunions today as the US finally lifts a ban on British travellers after more than 600 days.
The transatlantic flights will provide a significant boost for the travel sector and long-haul airlines in particular.
Rival airlines British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were planning a synchronised departure from Heathrow today to celebrate.
Their aircraft were due to take off from parallel runways at 8.30am, heading to New York’s JFK Airport.
The pandemic led then-president Donald Trump to ban visitors from dozens of countries in early 2020. They included the UK, Ireland, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe, China, India and South Africa. Fully vaccinated travellers from those locations will now be allowed to enter the US from today.
Airlines have ramped up schedules to meet the increased demand, with 3,688 flights due to operate on the UK-US route this month, according to travel data firm Cirium.
While that is up 2 per cent compared with October, the number is 49 per cent down on the pre-pandemic levels of November 2019.
Around 3.8million Britons visited the US each year before the pandemic, according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and a survey of 2,000 UK consumers commissioned by travel trade organisation ABTA put the US second only to Spain in a list of foreign destinations holidaymakers say they plan to visit.
British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said the reopening of the US borders was a ‘moment to celebrate’ after ‘more than 600 days of separation’.
He added: ‘Transatlantic connectivity is vital for the UK’s economic recovery, which is why we have been calling for the safe reopening of the UK-US travel corridor for such a long time.
‘We must now look forward with optimism, get trade and tourism back on track and allow friends and families to connect once again.’
His counterpart at Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss, said: ‘The US has been our heartland for more than 37 years and we are simply not Virgin without the Atlantic.
‘We’ve been steadily ramping up flying to destinations including Boston, New York, Orlando, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and we can’t wait to fly our customers safely to their favourite US cities to reconnect with loved ones and colleagues.’
A US-UK taskforce was launched in June with the goal of opening up travel. US President Joe Biden announced in September that the US would reopen its border.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was a ‘significant moment’ as transatlantic travel has ‘long been at the heart of UK aviation’.
In addition to being fully vaccinated, foreign travellers arriving by air must also provide proof of either a negative result from a coronavirus test taken no more than three days before travel, or evidence that they have recovered from the virus in the previous three months.
‘Allow friends and families to connect’