Manchester Airports Group (MAG) CEO, Charlie Cornish, has welcomed the latest changes to the government’s traffic light classification system for international travel during the pandemic.
The government has expanded the green list of countries, where arrivals are not required to self-isolated on entry to UK, to include a number of additional European nations: Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway. Restrictions have also been eased on fully-vaccinated arrivals from amber list countries, who will no longer be required to self-isolate on arrival. The amber list includes popular summer holiday destinations like France and Spain.
MAG, the UK’s largest airport operator, has previously called for the relaxation of travel restrictions in line with the UK’s roll-out of the coronavirus vaccine, and CEO Charlie Cornish has welcomed the latest changes to rules for fully-vaccinated travellers. In a statement, he said:
“We welcome the movement of more countries to the green and amber lists, in what is effectively the final review of the traffic light lists before the end of the summer holidays.
“Together with the new freedoms for fully vaccinated travellers, these changes will enable more people to enjoy a holiday, or reconnect with friends and family, in a growing list of countries.
“It is encouraging to finally see decisions that reflect the data on the ground in these destinations and close the gap with the approach being taken in other countries.
“Government must now take this opportunity to develop a stable, sustainable and affordable system that gives people the confidence to book ahead through the winter and into next year.”
India, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE have also been moved from the red list to the amber list, while Georgia, Mexico, and the French Overseas Territory of La Réunion have been put onto the red list due to worsening Covid-19 outbreaks. A so-called ‘amber watchlist’ classification for countries at risk of being downgraded has been scrapped.
The full list of green list countries can be found on the government website.
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