Brits can now start planning foreign holidays ‘with confidence’

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement on Monday of reopening England, Heathrow Airport chief has said that holidays will now go ahead.

The Prime Minister said from 17 May foreign holidays could be allowed subject to the data allowing this to happen.

Speaking to Sky News, John Holland-Kaye chief executive of Heathrow Airport said that summer holidays will go ahead.

Holland-Kaye said, “Whether it’s May 17th or June 17th I think people can start planning with confidence to go on their summer holidays.

“It’s amazing how it’s the one thing people have been looking forward to for the past 12 months is to get away and start taking control of their lives again.”

He added, “The quicker we can get back up and running again, the quicker we can help with the rebuilding of the economy and protecting jobs.”

Within hours of Johnson’s announcement easyJet said they had received more than four times higher bookings, for the summer season, compared to the same period the previous week.

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said on Tuesday, “We have consistently seen that there is pent-up demand for travel and this surge in bookings shows that this signal from the Government that it plans to reopen travel has been what UK consumers have been waiting for.

“The Prime Minister’s address has provided a much-needed boost in confidence for so many of our customers in the UK with demand for flights up 337% and holidays up 630% already compared to last week and beach destinations proving most popular for this summer.”

He added, “While the summer may be a little while off, we will be working around the clock to ensure we will be ready to ramp up our flights to reconnect friends and family or take them on a long-awaited holiday to remember.”
The UK’s largest tour operator Tui has seen a six fold increase in bookings on Monday for demand in Greece, Spain and Turkey from July onwards.