Without the pandemic, the summer vacation season would’ve been the time when US and UK travelers fly. Unfortunately, leisure flights between the US and London are still not happening because of COVID19 restrictions. Airline and airport executives from the UK and US urged officials to end the US-UK travel restrictions citing high COVID-19 vaccination rates.
John Holland-Kaye who is the CEO of London Heathrow Airport calls both US and the UK “poster children of good vaccination programs”. He added that “there needs to be a prize for that”. What he means with a prize is the end of a 15-month travel ban.
On Monday, United CEO Scott Kirby said that “We are in the peak travel season for travel between the US and UK”. He added that “every single day that goes by is a day lost for the recovery”.
US-UK Travel Restrictions
If you are a US traveler going to London, you will need to quarantine for 10 days. On the other hand, UK travelers can’t travel to the US. All these travel restrictions limit travelers from enjoying the summer. However, European Union countries have already opened their borders to vaccinated travelers. France and Spain are among the latest countries that announced welcoming fully vaccinated Americans.
No Timetable
Unfortunately, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced that the US doesn’t have a timetable when they are going to lift travel restrictions. At a White House press briefing, he said that “we have to follow the science, and we have to follow the guidance of our public health professionals”.
For British Health Secretary Matt Hancock, variants are the main problem that could stop them from lifting restrictions on June 21. Hancock announced that variant cases doubled last week. He said that this could be the beginning of another wave.
Travel Corridor
This isn’t the first time that the aviation industry urged both President Biden and Prime Minister Johnson to ease US-UK travel restrictions. For months, concerned parties wanted a US-UK travel corridor.
Both US and UK still want a higher vaccination rate before they decide to ease travel restrictions. US President Biden wants 70% of US adults to be vaccinated by at least one dose before the 4th of July.
