(Alliance News) - Most popular European holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal should be on the government's "green list" for foreign travel, according to the boss of easyJet PLC.
Chief Executive Johan Lundgren said he "would expect almost all major European countries" to be put in the low-risk category when overseas holidays from the UK are allowed to resume.
Under the new traffic light system, people arriving in the UK from a "green" country will not be required to self-isolate, but those entering from an "amber" destination must quarantine for 10 days.
Existing rules for arrivals from "red" locations will continue, including the mandatory stay in a quarantine hotel.
Everyone returning to or visiting the UK will be required to take at least one coronavirus test prior to departure and after they arrive.
The earliest date that foreign holidays could be permitted for people in England under UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's road map for easing restrictions is May 17.
Lundgren was asked if he expects destinations such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus and Turkey to be on the "green list".
He replied: "Yes, by the time we open up for travel on the 17th of May and if the government continues to have the plan in place on the two-test system.
"I wouldn't see a reason why you wouldn't have the majority of the countries of Europe in there."
Lundgren said people should be able to return from "green" countries without "any testing at all because it would be considered low-risk".
He added: "It's important the government comes out with this list as soon as possible because this is the main question for most of our customers right now."
The Department of Transport has pledged to categorise countries "by early May".
Assessments will be based on a range of factors, including the proportion of a country's population that has been vaccinated, rates of infection, emerging new variants, and the country's access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.
Simon McNamara, who leads airline trade body the International Air Transport Association's UK and Ireland activities, told the Commons' Transport Select Committee that the government's approach to reopening foreign travel is "still too complex and too cautious".
He said: "We are approaching a point where the pandemic in the UK is under control. We have good protections in place with testing, with vaccination as well, and we think we can open in a faster but safe way."
McNamara added that the government's Global Travel Taskforce report published last week was "very vague".
Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at travel trade organisation Abta, said testing requirements will be a "major barrier" to travelling abroad this summer.
He told Sky News that allowing passengers returning from "green" destinations to take lateral flow tests rather than PCR tests – which cost around GBP120 – would be "a more proportionate approach".
Brian Strutton, general secretary of pilots' union Balpa, told the channel that "if the government's demanding these tests, the government should be subsidising them to make the price reasonable".
He also urged the government to "kick-start" international travel by offering the tests free to key workers as "they deserve a holiday".
EasyJet flew just 14% of its 2019 flight programme between October and the end of March, but insisted it is ready to "ramp up" schedules for the summer season.
The carrier said it expects to fly up to 20% of pre-pandemic capacity levels between April and June.
The comments came as easyJet confirmed it will slump to a steep first-half loss, of between GBP690 million and GBP730 million for the six months to March 31, but it said this is slightly better than it expected thanks largely to stringent cost-cutting. It compares with a half-year underlying pretax loss of GBP193 million a year earlier.
By Neil Lancefield and Holly Williams, PA
source: PA
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