Meanwhile, prime minister Boris Johnson’s authority is under question after nearly 100 Conservative MPs voted against plans to enforce the use of vaccine passes for larger entertainment venues.

Elsewhere, France is considering strengthening its Covid restrictions on British travellers due to the Omicron variant ahead of the Christmas holidays.

In other news, the government has rejected airlines’ pleas to restrict the serving of alcohol in airports and British Airways announces plans to restart a short-haul operation from Gatwick in spring 2022.

Here are the key headlines travel woke up to on Wednesday (15 December).

All countries on red list removed and travellers allowed to leave hotel quarantine early

The red list has been emptied again after 11 African countries were removed on Wednesday (15 December) morning. Health secretary Sajid Javid made the announcement in the House of Commons on Tuesday, with travellers currently in hotel quarantine likely to be allowed to leave early, provided they don’t test positive for Covid. (Various)

Johnson suffers biggest setback as PM in ‘plan B’ rebellion

Prime minister Boris Johnson’s authority is under question after 99 Conservative MPs voted against the government’s plan to require people attending larger venues and events in England to use Covid-19 vaccine certificates for entry. The government still easily won the vote in the House of Commons thanks to support from Labour. (Various)

France could impose tougher Covid travel rules on UK holidaymakers

France is considering imposing tougher travel restrictions on British travellers as part of its attempts to stem the spread of the Omicron variant. Senior French officials has suggested UK arrivals could face additional PCR tests adding significant costs to a Christmas trip across the Channel. (The Telegraph) 

Airport bars avoid tougher rules as pleas from airlines rejected by government

Calls from airlines for tighter rules on airport bars have been rejected by the government. Airlines had wanted outlets serving alcohol at terminals to come under the same licensing restrictions as high street premises to reduce disruption from drunken passengers. (Sky News)

British Airways launches new short-haul airline at Gatwick to rival easyJet

The airline will launch a new short-haul operation from Gatwick to 35 destinations from March 2022 through a new subsidiary, which will still use the BA brand. The carrier will compete against easyJet from the Sussex airport. (The Daily Mail)

Australia reopens borders to migrants and students after two years

The country has reopened its borders to vaccinated skilled migrants and foreign students after a ban of nearly two years on international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. But travellers from countries with high Covid infection rates will still be barred from entering Australia. (The Guardian)