May 17 is a special day for UK airline executives. It is the day Britons can experience international leisure travel again after a year-long travel restriction. The Department of Transport plans to confirm whether or not planes can take off to where by early May. The UK’s green list will include countries that Britons can travel to without having to quarantine when they return.
Will the UK’s Green list include the US? A transatlantic air corridor is something that airlines and the rest of the travel industry want to have. Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye thinks that “the US is on the cusp—and the first big market we’d expect to see come on, and hopefully by the end of May”.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city will “fully reopen” by July 1. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo even said that it could happen sooner than July 1.
Aviation Industry is Still Down
Domestic travel is now back in the US. However, looking at the big picture, the aviation industry is still down by $48 billion this year alone. In 2020, the industry lost $126 billion. The good news is that state loans saved airlines from further losses. But despite the palliative financial support, the summer season is going to be crucial not only for the aviation industry but for the travel industry as a whole.
A transatlantic corridor between the US and the UK could mean a lot for both economies. Juha Jarvinen, the chief commercial officer for Virgin said that just between London and New York route, it would mean £400 million in revenues. In 2019, the transatlantic route made over £1.5 billion.
Getting the US in UK’s green list is only half the story. Donald Trump in March 2020 banned all non-citizens from flying to the US. Then, you have other issues such as proof of vaccination.
