Extra flights put on to cope with demand

TRAVEL operators are putting on extra flights and calling for the Government to put more countries on the quarantine-free green travel list to cope with pent-up demand for holidays.

Industry leaders have criticised the “‘overly cautious” approach of ministers in approving only 12 destinations so far.

Yesterday travel agents had their best day of sales since the announcement of the roadmap out of lockdown. Most bookings were for Portugal, which, along with Gibraltar, Iceland and Israel, is among the small group of countries that will be on the green list from May 17, allowing Britons in without the need to quarantine.

Several remote British Overseas Territories and destinations where visits are heavily restricted, such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and the Faroe Islands, are also on the list.

EasyJet said it had put more than 80,000 extra seats on sale to green list destinations to serve demand for travel this summer and will restart a route from Newcastle to Faro, south Portugal.

It said it was giving more flexibility for flights and holidays than ever before.

Johan Lundgren, the airline’s chief executive, said that putting so few European countries on the list was “not justified by the data”.

“We are disappointed that so few countries were put on to the green list as it is simply not justified by the data or the science and is inconsistent with the approach to reopen the domestic economy,” Mr Lundgren said.

“However, easyJet is the biggest operator from the UK to the European countries which are on the green list, and we have increased our flights to these destinations where we can in order to take as many customers away as possible... and we are ready and able to ramp up.”

Garry Wilson, chief executive of easyJet Holidays, added: “We believe, looking at the science and looking at the data, that places like the Greek islands, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, very popular holiday destinations, actually do meet those criteria and should be on that list.”

Tui, the tour operator, said: “We’ve had the best day of sales for summer 2021 holidays since the initial road map announcement in February. Sixty per cent of all holidays sold yesterday were to Portugal.”

People returning to England from a green destination from May 17 will not have to self-isolate and are only required to take one postarrival Covid test.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, said the removal of the ban on international leisure travel was “necessarily cautious”.