Omicron travel chaos: EasyJet sees a drop in winter bookings

EasyJet has said it is already seeing a drop in bookings amid uncertainty over the new Omicron variant as it posted annual losses of more than £1billion.

The low-cost carrier said it has seen signs demand is softening in its current quarter, although it is ‘too soon to say’ what impact the new strain and fresh kerbs will have on the sector.

Industry leaders and MPs have blasted any further restrictions, with Ben Bradshaw – who sits on the Commons transport committee, telling MailOnline ‘it is pointless to reintroduce such onerous and costly travel restrictions’.

New limitations came in Tuesday in an effort to control Covid, with the Government ruling all travellers returning to the UK must take a PCR test and self-isolate.

Many countries tightened their borders, with the UK Government announcing a ban on travel from 10 places in southern Africa where the variant is thought to be in circulation, and restrictions are growing across Europe.

It comes as British Airways said Monday it suspended Hong Kong flights after crew were required to quarantine following a positive Covid test among the staff.

EasyJet said: ‘It’s too soon to say what impact Omicron may have on European travel and any further short-term restrictions that may result.

‘However, we have prepared ourselves for periods of uncertainty such as this.’

The comments came as the company posted statutory pre-tax losses of £1.04 billion for the year to September 30, compared with losses of £1.27 billion the previous year, which was the first full-year loss in its 25-year history.

On an underlying basis, pre-tax losses widened from £835 million to £1.14 billion.

Despite the current uncertainty, easyJet said it is still hopeful of a recovery to pre-pandemic levels of trading over its current year.

It said: ‘We are still seeing good levels of new bookings for the second half and we still expect that the fourth quarter of 2021/22 will see a return to near pre-pandemic levels of capacity as people take their long-awaited summer holidays.’

The group said it expects to ramp up its flights programme to around 65 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the current quarter to the end of December, increasing this to 70 per cent in the three months to March and a return to around 2019 levels in the summer quarter.

It also stressed it has seen demand accelerate recently, with a ‘strong performance’ for October half-term, the ski season and Christmas.

But easyJet held off from giving full financial guidance for the year, given the ‘continued level of short-term uncertainty’.

Chief executive Johan Lundgren said: ‘We have seen an encouraging start to this year, with strong demand returning for peak winter holiday periods coupled with increasing summer demand, with fourth-quarter capacity expected to be close to full-year 2019 levels.’

He added: ‘We remain mindful that many uncertainties remain as we navigate the winter, but we see a unique opportunity for easyJet to win customers and take market share from rivals in this period.’

Paul Charles, from The PC Agency of travel experts, told MailOnline: ‘When governments introduce restrictions, it always dents consumer confidence in some way.

‘The new testing and self-isolation rules introduced today, combined with hotel quarantine and red list measures which came in on Sunday, are leaving consumers and the travel sector in limbo until more is known about Omicron.

‘Until more details emerge, some consumers are putting off new bookings in the short-term, affecting inbound and outbound business and leisure trips.

‘The government has to produce an alternative plan for dealing with variants instead of restricting travel via flight bans and quarantine measures.

‘Variants will come and go, as they do with flu each year, and there has to be a better balance between protecting both health and the economy on an ongoing basis.’

Nicky Kelvin, Head of the Points Guy UK said: ‘Many readers of The Points Guy UK have expressed concerns about how to navigate the new testing regime and quarantine restrictions that the Government announced over the weekend, impacting anyone travelling to or returning to the UK.

‘There does seem to be uncertainty regarding new arrivals having to do a PCR test on or before Day 2 (after they arrive in the UK) instead of a Lateral Flow Test and then self-isolate until they receive a negative result, even if fully vaccinated.

‘Most of the questions have been regarding how people can find a quick, cheap and efficient test.

‘There are two main testing methods. Either way, new arrivals will need to isolate until they receive a negative result regardless of the processing g time.

‘It’s important to remember that a Day 2 Test can be taken on day zero, one or two and so finding a quick and efficient testing centre to take the test on the day of arrival can reduce quarantine time significantly.’

A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said: ‘Ministers need to ensure tests can be obtained as cheaply as possible. Ideally this should be free of charge for returning UK residents.

‘If the Government is not willing to make PCR tests free of charge, then ministers must use all other tools at their disposal to significantly reduce the costs of obtaining tests through private providers, including putting a price cap on what companies can charge, and removing VAT on private PCR tests while working with providers to ensure cost savings are passed onto consumers.’

Henry Smith MP, chairman of the cross-party Future of Aviation Group, told MailOnline: ‘I understand why the Government have acted swiftly to mitigate the new Omicron Covid variant and early signs suggest Omicron isn’t more severe as previous strains so I trust the PCR tests reintroduced for international arrivals will be removed at the three week review.

‘That will be crucial for the travel and aviation sector’s continued recovery, particularly for the important Christmas season.’ He added: ‘The price of PCR tests should be capped at no more than a rapid antigen test.’

Mr Bradshaw MP, who sits on the Commons transport committee, said: ‘Given Omicron has been in the UK for some time and is already circulating in the community, it is pointless to reintroduce such onerous and costly travel restrictions, which will ruin families’ Christmas plans and deal another needless hammer blow to our vital transport industry.

‘We were already the only country in Europe to require post arrival testing and the recovery in our travel sector lagged well behind our European neighbours. Reintroducing PCR tests and requiring self-isolation while awaiting the results will take us back months.

‘Far better to focus on measures here at home to control and reduce the spread of the virus like regular testing, face coverings in enclosed public spaces, ventilation and working from home where possible.

‘We should also make more use of vaccine certification which has helped keep Covid rates much lower in other Western European countries as well as driving up vaccine take up.

‘It is not fair for the responsible majority who have had their jabs to have their freedoms curtailed because of the failure of the selfish minority to get jabbed.’

BA said yesterday it suspended Hong Kong flights after crew were required to quarantine following a positive Covid test among the staff.

A statement said: ‘We have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong while we review operational requirements for this route.

‘We’re supporting crew who are currently isolating in Hong Kong.’ A BA spokesman said one staff member had ‘tested positive upon arrival’.

As a result, the rest of the crew are also currently isolating. The airline apologised to customers whose plans were disrupted, adding it would inform them of options.

The southern Chinese business hub of Hong Kong has some of the world’s strictest quarantine rules.

Most arrivals undergo 14 to 21 days of hotel confinement, in line with China’s so-called ‘zero-Covid’ strategy.

Health chief warns ‘don’t socialise before Christmas unless you need to’ and Sadiq Khan urges Londoners to ‘wear masks in pubs and restaurants’ to tackle Omicron as Boris prepares to hold press conference TODAY

Dr Jenny Harries warned Omicron could have a ‘significant impact on our hospitals’ if jabs are much weakerShe hinted WFH is already being considered within No10 and could be the next measure to be reintroducedNew rules on compulsory face masks and self-isolation came into effect in England from 4am this morningBoris Johnson will hold a press conference at 4pm this afternoon to give an update on the Covid situation 

The head of NHS Test and Trace today warned Britons not to socialise before Christmas ‘unless you need to’ in a noticeable shift in tone as the mutant Omicron strain was detected in three more people in Scotland, bringing the UK’s total to 14. 

Dr Jenny Harries, one of No10’s top public health experts, issued the stark warning as she admitted that the mutant could have a ‘significant impact on our hospitals’ because existing vaccines are expected to be significantly less effective.

She hinted that WFH is already being considered within Government and could be the next measure to be reintroduced if the outbreak starts to grow, adding: ‘If we see surges, then working from home will be a good thing to do.’  

The Government’s new rules on face masks and self-isolation to slow the spread of the variant came into effect in England from 4am this morning, with coverings now compulsory on public transport, in shops, beauty salons and hairdressers.

But Labour’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan today urged people in the capital to go one step further and wear face masks in pubs and restaurants, deviating from official guidance.  

Nationally, the restrictions are to be reviewed again in three weeks, which means Britons could be stung with last-minute curbs just days before Christmas. 

In a round of interviews, Mr Khan said: One of my requests from the Government is, let’s not have a hokey cokey when it comes to face mask-wearing where they’re going to review it in three weeks’ time.

‘As far as I’m concerned, on public transport — because more often than not we’ve got to be confined, we can’t keep our social distance — let’s keep it at mandatory with the ability to back it up with the police, with the ability to issue fines even in three weeks’ time, finger crossed, should Omicron not be as bad as some fear.’

Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street press conference at 4pm this afternoon to outline how to book booster jabs amid fears the top-up drive will not be able to keep up with ministers’ demands for at least 500,000 a day. 

Scientists say it will take two weeks to truly work out how effective jabs are against Omicron, which has twice as many mutations on its spike protein as Delta. The strain is expected to make current vaccines significantly weaker at preventing infections, but it’s less clear how it will impact hospitalisations and deaths. 

Britain yesterday expanded its current booster rollout for all adults over 18. Even though the vaccines are expected to be much weaker against Omicron, it is hoped that topping up everyone’s immunity to very high levels will offer an extra line of defence against the incoming wave. 

The Prime Minister this morning defended England’s new coronavirus rules, which he claimed are ‘proportionate and responsible’.

‘The measures taking effect today are proportionate and responsible, and will buy us time in the face of this new variant,’ he said. ‘Vaccines and boosters remain our best line of defence, so it is more important than ever that people come forward when eligible to get boosted.’ 

Professor Paul Moss, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said that scientists are ‘well prepared’ to tweak the vaccines in the event that the Omicron variant evades the protection afforded by the current vaccines. AstraZeneca on Saturday said it has developed a platform to allow it to ‘quickly respond’ to any emerging variants, including Omicron.

On another day of Covid chaos:

The crackdown on mask-flouters in London began today as Tube officials threatened to fine non-compliant commuters £200 if they refuse to cover their faces; Winter holiday plans for thousands of Britons were thrown into chaos after Switzerland suddenly tightened Covid entry rules over fears of the Omicron variant;Data revealed the South African province where the Omicron Covid variant was first detected has suffered a more than 300 percent increase in virus related hospitalisations this week; Vaccine maker Moderna warned it will take months to develop an Omicron-specific booster; Nicola Sturgeon slammed the brakes on restrictions easing in Scotland; Retail bosses warned that they cannot be expected to enforce new facemask rules in shops; Universities, colleges and secondary schools in Wales have been told they should now enforce masks indoors.

Scottish health authorities announced three more Omicron cases overnight, bringing Scotland’s total to nine spread between Glasgow and Lanarkshire. 

The UK’s total is 14, with five further cases found in Nottingham, Brentwood, Camden, Wandsworth and Westminster. Labs across the country are probing hundreds more probable cases and there are signs the strains already spreading in the community.   

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) chief executive Dr Harries today told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) ‘has shown that if we have significant surges in Covid cases, then actually working from home is one of the key ones to implement and that’s why it is in Plan B’.

‘But it’s probably worth just thinking through at the moment; although I’m sure we will have more cases announced, we do only have five confirmed cases (of the new Omicron variant in England) and 10 highly probable at the moment.

‘So it’s a very early stage for this, I think, but certainly, if we see surges, then working from home will be a good thing to do.’

Speaking earlier about vaccine effectiveness, she said it is highly likely that the UK’s vaccination programme will be beneficial in the face of the Omicron variant but experts also expect vaccine effectiveness to be reduced.

She said the current understanding is that the booster will ‘shoot up your immunity levels and so getting that high background level of immunity on a population basis may, to some extent, counter the reduced effectiveness against this particular variant’.

She added that there is a need to ‘be really careful about interpreting the data’ after suggestions from South Africa that the variant is causing mild illness, saying that the UK has an older population, with an average age of 41, compared with 27 in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Mr Khan hinted that coverings might need to be extended to hospitality settings at a later date if the so-called ‘Omicron’ variant is worse than feared. 

In an interview with Sky News this morning, he urged: ‘If you’re in a pub, bar or restaurant, particularly if you’re standing up in one of those bars rather than at a table, and you can’t keep your distance, and you’re not drinking, wear a facemask.’

It comes after Health Minister Gillian Keegan today insisted it is better for the UK to ‘overreact than underreact’ to the new Omicron coronavirus variant after Joe Biden told the US the mutant strain is ‘not a cause for panic’. 

Ms Keegan said ministers are trying to strike the right ‘balance’ in the response but she admitted it is a difficult judgment to make because there are many ‘unknowns’ associated with the variant. 

All travellers returning to the UK must now take a PCR test on or before day two after their arrival. They can leave isolation once they have a negative test result.  

Close contacts of Omicron cases must isolate at home for ten days regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not, prompting fears of another ‘pingdemic’.

Ms Keegan insisted ‘Christmas is on track’ amid fears the Omicron variant could result in more people having to self-isolate over the festive period.

Last night US President Mr Biden said that ‘this variant is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic’. 

His comments prompted scrutiny of the UK’s response, which has seen ministers roll out three main curbs to buy scientists some time as they race to analyse the new variant and assess how effective existing vaccines will be against it. 

Ms Keegan was asked during an interview on Sky News if the UK is in danger of overreacting.

She replied: ‘We are trying to get that balance and proportion and it is difficult because it is unknown so we need to buy some time so our scientists can work with the world’s leading scientists to just basically figure out, we know it is very transmissible by looking, but we don’t know whether it’ll work with the vaccine, the vaccine will work, or the other treatments etc.

‘So the scientists do need some time for that. We think we have got the balance and the proportional response to it.

‘But we will review it in three weeks, that will give the scientists enough time to hopefully give us some insights then.’

Told that it could subsequently become apparent that the UK has overreacted, Ms Keegan said: ‘I would rather overreact than underreact at this point. 

‘I think we have been here so many times that, you know, we have got this fantastic wall of vaccine now, we want to keep that, we want to strengthen it.

‘We would rather be stronger to be able to face any new variants and I think we have all the things, all the capability to do that, so that is what we would rather do.’ 

The new self-isolation rules for people identified as a close contact of an Omicron case has sparked concerns of a potential ‘pingdemic’ at Christmas, should the variant surge in the UK in the coming weeks. 

Told that the restrictions could result in more people being unable to see their family over the Christmas period, Ms Keegan said: ‘Obviously you could be self-isolating over Christmas. You could be. But what we are hoping is we keep these cases, obviously everybody is going to be contacted, people will start the isolation.

‘With or without this you could be isolating for Christmas, with another variant.

‘Of course Christmas is on track. What everyone wants for Christmas is if you haven’t had your first jab, come and get it, if you haven’t had your second jab, come and get it, and if you haven’t had your booster, come and get it when you are asked.’ 

Ms Keegan said that Christmas will ‘hopefully not’ be ruined, adding: ‘Let’s be proportional and balanced as we are trying to be, we have got five cases today, that will go up I am pretty sure, but what we are trying to do is really clampdown on that as much as possible.’

Meanwhile, asked about the prospect of Christmas plans being called off, Professor Paul Moss, of the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham, told Sky News: ‘I don’t think we need to worry too much about that at this stage… the measures that we got in place have a good chance of gaining some control here.

‘The two ways that we’re adopting to try and control this are: one, in behavioural change to reduce transmission: the travel restrictions; more lateral flows; masking.

‘And the second big factor is the immunity and we know that we may lose some immunity with this virus. So what is happening is we are boosting our immune levels to super-high levels with the plans that were introduced yesterday, and that should retain some protection.

‘What we’ve seen with Covid is that things change very rapidly. And I think we need at least three weeks to assess this.

‘We need excellent epidemiology and within the laboratory people are testing the resistance of the virus against vaccinated samples. So we will need that sort of time. And we will know a lot more before Christmas.’

He added: ‘You probably saw that the doctor in South Africa who initially identified it had seen relatively mild cases, which is very encouraging. However, you know, that’s a much younger population.

‘It’s the elderly population, we need to worry about – in South Africa only six per cent are above 65 years whereas we’ve got a much higher proportion.’ 

Professor Moss insisted vaccine manufacturers should be able to produce new jabs tailored to the variant quickly.

He said: ‘Well, as you know, the companies have already started — the gene has been cloned, but typically talking around 100 days.

‘We’ve learned so much in the last 18 months — nobody felt we would get a vaccine within a year when the pandemic started, and we did — we got several.

‘So it will be accelerated and, of course, if we were in that severe situation — but I really hope that we won’t get to, by the way — we’re very well prepared. We know what to do.’

Professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said that the UK had to ‘act immediately and not wait’ after the discovery of the Omicron variant.

He told BBC Breakfast: ‘The main question is whether it’s able to evade the immunity that we’ve got to some extent from the vaccine so far and the infections we’ve all had.

‘And so because of that, and because of the possibility of a major wave, the thing to do now is to act immediately and not wait.’ 

Calls for competition watchdog to stop PCR testing firms hiking prices to exploit loophole in new Covid rules that allows passengers to take swab as soon as they land at UK airport

Fears people being tested at airport could be unknowingly carrying CovidMay not have had enough time to incubate at the point that the test is doneComes amid growing concern that private providers will hike costs of testsTravel expert Paul Charles called on the regulator to intervene at early stage  

The competition watchdog was yesterday urged to stop Wild West testing firms hiking the price of PCR tests to exploit a loophole that allows travellers to take a swab as soon as they land at the airport. 

There are fears people being tested at the moment of arrival could be unknowingly carrying Covid-19 even if they test negative, because the virus will not have had to time to incubate. In addition, travellers will be allowed to go home on public transport and mix with hundreds of people before receiving their result. 

Yesterday it emerged that nearly a quarter of the government-listed private Covid test providers are charging £100 or more for PCR tests for UK arrivals – which is more than a cost of a flight to many of Europe’s most popular winter destinations. 

Travel expert Paul Charles, from the PC Agency, suggested regulators should intervene to stop providers hiking prices further. He told MailOnline: ‘I think you’re going to see prices rising based on demand.

‘I think it’s important for the Competition Commission to step in and say they are monitoring providers prices so we don’t get into a situation where they are having to react after the event.

‘There’s a lot of concern about the testing industry any and the lack of oversight. Their track record is not a brilliant one and we know consumers are being hit by Wild West tactics and the service quality has sometimes been suspect.’

Meanwhile, Labour MP Yvette Cooper called the new testing requirement ‘insufficient’ because it ‘left too many gaps in the system’. 

‘People can still travel on busy planes, wait in busy departure or arrival halls, then travel home on buses, trains or the tube, all without being tested at all,’ she said.  

A Which? analysis of the government’s list of 451 companies providing Day 2 PCR tests, including those providing both home kits airport arrival swabs – found 103 were advertising tests for £100 or more. 

The Mayfair GP led the pack at £399. 

The new travel curbs come just weeks after costly PCR swabs for returning travellers were ditched on October 24 and replaced with much cheaper rapid lateral flow tests.

But there is now a growing backlash after Boris Johnson said all travellers, regardless of vaccination status, will have to take PCR tests by day two of their UK arrival.

Travellers must self-isolate at home until they get their result, although critics have pointed out that they can travel to their quarantine location by public transport.

The rule was announced on Saturday and comes into force at 4am today in a bid by ministers to better track any spread of the feared new Omicron variant.   

The average cost of a single PCR swab among more than 450 providers listed on the Government website yesterday was £83 – up by 5 per cent or £4 from £79 yesterday.  

For a family of five this would add £415 to the cost of a trip abroad. By comparison, rapid lateral flow tests are typically about £20 to £25 – adding about £100 to £125.

One furious tourism boss branded it a ‘travel tax’, which contradicted the Prime Minister’s claim that ‘this Christmas will be better than last’.

Travellers accused Covid test companies of ‘shameless profiteering’ with some claiming the PCR price has risen by £10, £30 and £44 in three different examples. 

And Willie Walsh, the former boss of British Airways’ parent company IAG, described the reintroduction of tighter quarantine and testing regulations as a ‘knee-jerk decision’ which imposes ‘huge hardship’ on travellers. 

Mr Walsh, who is currently director-general of airline trade body the International Air Transport Association, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I’m very disappointed to see this knee-jerk reaction by governments to the latest development. 

‘It’s clear that these measures have been completely ineffective in the past but impose huge hardship on people who are trying to connect with families and friends, and clearly massive financial damage to the tourism and airline industry.’

Mr Walsh said the failure of similar requirements to prevent a second coronavirus wave in the UK after being implemented in May last year demonstrates they ‘do not have any long-term benefits’ and are ‘not the answer’.

He continued: ‘I think sensible testing regimes which have been proven to be effective could be introduced which would enable people to continue travelling in a safe environment.

‘It’s disappointing that the Government does not reflect on the significant data that they have available.’

Ministers have been also told by travel bosses and MPs that the cost of PCR tests should be slashed to stop families being priced out of going abroad this Christmas.

The Government has been urged to either cap prices of the ‘gold standard’ swabs, axe VAT on them or allow holidaymakers to use free NHS ones.

The new travel curbs will increase testing bills by hundreds of pounds. 

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, said: ‘One of the best things the government could do is remove VAT on PCR tests to make it less costly for people to travel.’

Of the new restrictions, he added: ‘It’s the Christmas present nobody wanted in the sector and it wipes out inbound tourism due to the quarantine while awaiting test results.’

Guidance issued by the Government last night said that, if travellers’ test results are delayed, they must stay in self-isolation until they receive them or until two weeks after arrival – whichever is soonest. 

Anyone with a positive result must self-isolate at home for ten days. The new rules relate to people who are fully vaccinated.

Non-fully vaccinated travellers must take a pre-return test and two PCR tests on days two and eight while self-isolating at home for ten days.

It comes as Switzerland effectively ‘red listed’ Britain by subjecting arrivals to ten days of self-quarantine.

Switzerland’s decision to ‘red list’ the UK means Britons arriving in the country will have to show proof of full vaccination, a negative Covid test and then self-isolate.

The Swiss measures – which came into force at 8pm on Saturday – were also in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.

It threatens to kill off skiing holidays, with the season beginning in Switzerland from mid to late November until late April. 

Spain also announced a ban on unvaccinated British tourists after Portugal said it would demand proof of a negative test even for double-jabbed visitors.

Travellers heading back to Britain who have bought rapid tests thinking they would be sufficient now face having to fork out hundreds more pounds for PCR swabs.

The more expensive tests are dubbed the ‘gold standard’ because they are processed in labs and can be sequenced to detect Covid variants of concern.

But the average cost of a single swab among more than 450 providers listed on the Government website yesterday was £79. For a family of five this would add £395 to the cost of a trip abroad. 

The destination country may also require a test as a condition of entry. By comparison, rapid lateral flow tests are typically about £20 to £25.

The Government will not review the PCR requirement for three weeks, sparking fears the policy will dampen demand in the run-up to the crucial Christmas period, traditionally the second-busiest for the already hard-hit travel industry.

It predicts bookings will cool off and that families worried about struggling to afford tests may be forced to re-book.

Tory MP Henry Smith, chairman of the cross-party Future of Aviation Group of MPs, told the Mail: ‘The price of PCR tests should be capped at no more than a rapid test.

‘Early signs suggest Omicron isn’t more severe as previous strains so I hope the PCR tests reintroduced for international arrivals can be removed at the three-week review.

‘That will be crucial for the travel and aviation sector’s continued recovery, particularly the important Christmas season.’

Ben Bradshaw MP, who sits on the Commons transport committee, said: ‘There should definitely be a cap, as other European countries have.

‘This will kill off demand, which was already much lower than the rest of Europe, particularly given the quarantine requirement while waiting for your PCR result.’

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, said: ‘What I’m failing to understand is why the government doesn’t let travellers use the free NHS PCR tests for the initial three-week period, because private providers are an absolute free-for-all, people will just be ripped off and they don’t always get their results back in time, extending their quarantine.’

The World Tourism Organisation, the United Nations’ tourism body, has warned that global revenue from international tourism this year will be less than half the pre-pandemic level of 2019. 

Abta, a trade association for tour operators and travel agents in the UK, said the added cost of testing for all arrivals to the UK will have an impact on customer demand for holidays, adding pressure to an industry which has been among the ‘hardest hit’ during the pandemic.

‘While Abta understands that this is a rapidly evolving situation and public health must come first, the decision to require all arrivals to take a PCR test and self-isolate until a negative result is returned is a huge blow for travel businesses, many of whom were only just starting to get back on their feet after 20 months of severe restrictions,’ an Abta spokesman said.

‘These changes will add cost to people’s holidays, which will undoubtedly impact consumer demand and hold back the industry’s recovery, so it’s vital that this decision is kept under careful review and restrictions are lifted promptly if it becomes clear there is not a risk to the UK vaccination programme.

‘The Government must also now consider offering tailored support for travel businesses, which have been amongst the hardest hit during the pandemic.’

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade association Airlines UK, warned that many people due to arrive in the UK in the coming days will ‘struggle’ to arrange PCR tests at short notice.

He claimed it would be ‘an appropriate gesture’ for the Government to provide the tests free of charge to travellers, which could be done ‘at no excessive cost to the Exchequer’.

A spokesman for the Laboratory and Testing Industry Organisation (LTIO), the trade body for Covid testing companies, said: ‘The LTIO believes reintroducing PCR testing for international travel is a sensible and precautionary step.

‘Our member companies are already working hard to enable passengers who have a booked antigen tests to be able to switch to PCR tests. We also want to offer our laboratories to help rapidly identify any new cases of the Omicron variant.’

Asked about companies ripping off consumers, the spokesman added: ‘Members of the LTIO adhere to a strict code of conduct which includes clear commitments to be transparent and honest with consumers about test prices. 

‘LTIO members commit to ensuring that prices shown are the total cost, including all compulsory Government charges, and to providing a high level of customer service throughout the testing process. Are some cowboy operators profiteering? Absolutely yes. Are any of those profiteers LTIO members? Absolutely not.’