THE remaining Covid travel rules could be scrapped in just a matter of DAYS ahead of Easter getaways.
Cabinet ministers are expected to rule Passenger Locator Forms a thing of the past at a scheduled committee meeting next week.
Testing for unvaccinated passengers is also up for consideration as stress-free travel looks promising ahead of the Easter break, MailOnline reports.
Currently anyone returning to the UK only needs to fill in a Passenger Locator Form, as long as they are fully vaccinated.
Pre-arrival Covid tests and day two Covid tests were scrapped earlier this month, making it easier and cheaper for families to return from their holidays.
While Passenger Locator Forms were simplified, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has reportedly been pushing to scrap them entirely in time for Easter.
But it’s possible the Covid-O (Covid Operations) meeting scheduled for next week could be postpone due to the events in Ukraine.
Airlines and tour operators have called for it to be scrapped, which would see travel returning to pre-Covid rules.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said ditching passenger locator forms would be welcomed across the industry.
He said: “It’s a shambles. They should ditch it, it’s completely irrelevant. Nobody collects them, nobody checks them or follows up on them.
“They were designed to pretend that the politicians were doing something to protect people.”
The head of travel consultancy The PC Agency, Paul Charles, said: “This hopefully sounds the death knell of the passenger locator form, which has been a terrible barrier to people booking holidays.
“This April is due to be the strongest for the travel industry for over two years and my word how it needs it.”
‘RIGHT TO REMOVE RESTRICTIONS’
A Government spokesman said all safety measures such as the passenger locator form are reviewed on an ongoing basis.
They said an update on contingency plans to fight any new variants is due before Easter.
The form is free, but it requires travellers to fill in additional details including where they have travelled and their vaccination status.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, said: “Ministers are absolutely right to remove the remaining restrictions but this needs to cut across all elements of the economy, including travel.
“If there is no requirement to self-isolate for those with Covid in the UK, jabbed or otherwise, there can be no justification for continuing with travel restrictions for the unvaccinated, including the continued use of the PLF which, although not as bad as testing, remains a deterrent to travel.”
