Currently, US-bound passengers are required to show a negative test result taken no more than a day before travel.
US travel chiefs have renewed demands to scrap the requirement, with senior leaders meeting government officials at the White House last week claiming America’s travel sector was being “disproportionately harmed” by the policy “even though the science no longer supports it”.
Speaking on Tuesday (7 June), Virgin’s vice-president of global sales Lee Haslett told TTG the carrier was “fully aligned” with transatlantic efforts to lift testing rules and was hopeful progress would soon be made.
“But, if the last two years has taught us anything, it’s that until policies and rules do change, we need to continue to work together and lobby hard for what we believe is right,” he said.
“We’re working with our colleagues in the US, at [joint venture partner] Delta and their government affairs team to lobby the Biden administration.”
Haslett said he believed the testing requirement was currently having a greater impact on US business travellers to the UK and Europe than on UK leisure passengers heading across the pond.
“We’re hearing it loud and clear from our US passengers - particularly corporate travellers. Do you really want to do a short business trip and have to run the risk of getting stuck if you test positive before returning home?”
Haslett said the easing of testing rules would also “take away a degree of uncertainty and friction” for UK consumers and help the industry continue on its journey “back to frictionless travel that our customers want and need”.
He also predicted a “surge” in demand would follow an easing of test requirements, upon which the carrier and agent partners could capitalise.
