Government

Scotland to relax testing rules for international travel

Approach will align with UK government plans to scrap pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travellers and with the UK’s post-arrival test regime

CMA probes another PCR firm over customer service concerns

The watchdog will investigate Dante Labs over concerns it may not be delivering PCR tests on time or at all, and failing to respond to complaints

Shapps hints supermarkets could sell Day 2 lateral flow tests

The transport secretary told Sky News on Friday he was ’still hopeful’ an overhaul of the testing system would be implemented in time for October half-term

Foreign Office quashes prospect of alignment with traffic lights

Egypt and Maldives among countries ’in limbo’ due to Foreign Office travel advice despite moving off red list

Don’t panic over petrol fuel crisis says govt plus winter lockdown 'unlikely'

Govt seeks to reassure consumers as petrol stations close while British Airways’ plans to launch a new short-haul subsidiary at Gatwick have been shelved

Minister insists govt 'absolutely aiming' to axe PCR testing in time for half-term

Paul Scully said it was ’absolutely the aim’ to transition from Day 2 OCR tests to cheaper lateral flow tests by the end of October

England’s travel rules under attack and winter warning

New travel regime branded ’illogical and discriminatory’, while UK’s energy crisis deepens

Jet2 to restart Turkey flights and holidays today

Airline and tour operator will resume operations to Turkey from its 10 UK bases on Thursday (23 September)

Hopes grow for EU acceptance of NHS Covid Pass

Agreement on recognising NHS app would boost confidence in travel to the continent

Brittany Ferries echoes calls for end of Day 2 PCR testing

Ferry firm’s sales and marketing director Paul Acheson said a switch from PCR to cheaper lateral flow testing would ’release a dam of demand’

FCDO continues to advise against travel to Egypt and Maldives

Covid-specific advice for both destinations remains in place, despite their removal from the UK’s red list on Wednesday morning

UK govt to begin accepting UAE vaccination certificates

Transport secretary Shapps says certificates will be accepted from 4 October

Barbados extends national curfew to end of September

The move comes due to "the evolving nature of the Covid-19 pandemic"

Hopes of US trade deal dashed and Melbourne hit by earthquake

Boris Johnson meets US president Biden at the White House, while the Australian city has been hit by a 5.8 magnitude quake

'Day 2 PCR tests should be kept for travel', says Welsh FM

Wales’ first minister Mark Drakeford said the testing regime overhaul was a ’step away’ from the UK government’s duty to public health

Shapps hopeful of half-term start for new testing rules

Transport sec sets out changes to Westminster’s travel rules in full, intimating changes to the UK’s testing regime will come into effect in time for October half-term

AstraZeneca vaccine 'should not be a problem for entry to US'

US Covid lead Dr Anthony Fauci believes the AstraZeneca jab will be accepted by the US when it reopens to international visitors in November

'When will the green lights come on again all over Africa?'

’Both those who service, and those who supply, Africa’s tourism need urgent help,’ Atta president Nigel Vere Nicoll writes for TTG

US to reopen to British tourists and gas crisis worries

The US will be back on the UK’s travel map from November, while ministers have offered further reassurance over concerns about gas supplies

Jet2: Customer confidence back to pre-pandemic levels

Bookings up more than 250% since changes to the UK’s travel rules were announced on Friday (17 September), with Friday proving Jet2’s busiest day of the year for bookings

'Once again, Latin America has been completely ignored'

’Comparing countries that have come off the red list with destinations in Latin America makes the disparity in the grading system very apparent,’ writes Lata chief Danny Callaghan for TTG

US to lift UK and EU travel ban in November

White House confirms fully vaccinated UK and EU travellers will be able to travel to the US from early November, ending the 18-month ban implemented by the Trump administration

New travel rules 'an enormous leap' for UK - Tui chief

"It eliminates the past uncertainty and boosts confidence and reassurance for overseas travel in the coming months" - Fritz Joussen

FCDO travel advice at odds with latest traffic lights update

Just three of the eight countries set to be removed from the UK’s red list on Wednesday have been OK’d by the Foreign Office