2,100 flights to leave UK on busiest weekend of the year

THE UK is set for its busiest weekend of flights of the year as pressure grows to allow holidaymakers to visit France without forcing them to quarantine on their return.

More than 2,100 flights are expected to depart for major European holiday destinations in the next few days, according to data seen by The Times. Figures show that 352 flights are going to Greece, which is only five per cent below the comparable weekend in 2019.

Jet2 said that 170 departures were planned this weekend, compared with only 70 for the same period last week. It comes as the Government continues to face pressure to allow quarantine-free travel from France for double-jabbed Britons. Those returning from France are currently forced to quarantine even if they are fully vaccinated.

Double-jabbed Britons returning from more than 140 other amber list countries are now permitted to skip quarantine. However, France was added to an “amber plus” list last week amid concerns about the Beta (South Africa) variant, which is thought to evade some vaccines.

Politicians from both nations, as well as tourism and business chiefs, have branded the move “ludicrous”, calling on the Health Secretary Sajid Javid to reverse the decision.

Alexandre Holroyd, a French MP, said that Paris was still reeling from the decision. “Quarantining fully vaccinated people is ludicrous and sends the wrong message,” he added.

France is entering a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections. Health minister Olivier Véran told MPs on Tuesday that there had been “18,000 contaminations over 24 hours”, an increase from 7,000 the week before.