Jet 2 cancels all flights and holidays until June 23

Jet2, one of Britain's biggest holiday groups, has cancelled all its flights and holidays until June 23, blaming the Government for "uncertainty" surrounding the revival of summer travel.

In a statement, Steve Heapy, the company's chief executive, said he had been "extremely disappointed" at the lack of detail in the Government's plans to resume foreign travel from May 17 at the earliest.

"We are trying to run a business so that we can take customers away, but we need the Government to provide us with clarity to achieve this," he said. "Because of the continued uncertainty that the framework provides, it is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to extend the suspension of flights and holidays up to and including June 23 2021.

"Where customers yet to travel are affected by any programme changes, we will automatically cancel their booking with a full refund, and our team of travel experts will be in touch to help them to book their summer getaway for later in the year."

It follows the Government's confirmation of the introduction of a traffic light system for the resumption of travel, under which only "green list" countries will be free from quarantine from the potential start date of May 17.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, had said earlier on Friday that he would no longer stop people booking their summer holidays, although he could not guarantee that travel would restart on May 17, saying only that a decision would be taken at the beginning of next month.

The uncertainty over the arrangements and the requirement that holidaymakers from "green list" countries will still have to pay hundreds of pounds for expensive PCR tests on their return to the UK have provoked a backlash from the travel industry.

Johan Lundgren, the EasyJet chief executive, claimed the plan was "a blow to all travellers" and risked "making flying only for the wealthy".

Tim Alderslade, the chief executive of Airlines UK, said the framework "does not represent a reopening of travel as promised by ministers", and John Holland-Kaye, the Heathrow chief executive, said: "I think the prime minister needs to deliver on his commitment to make testing, cheap and easy."

Jet2's Mr Heapy added: "After several weeks exploring how to restart international travel, with substantial assistance and input from the industry, the framework lacks any rigorous detail about how to get international travel going again. In fact, the framework is virtually the same as six months ago.

"Following the publication of the framework, we still do not know when we can start to fly, where we can fly to and the availability and cost of testing. Rather than answering questions, the framework leaves everyone asking more.

"We know how much our customers want to get away to enjoy their well-deserved holidays. We have seen buoyant confidence levels from UK holidaymakers, as well as strong demand for our ATOL protected package holidays and leisure flights."

Speaking on Friday morning, Mr Shapps said there was "a lot of hope in the air this summer" that families could jet abroad for their holidays thanks to the vaccine rollout.

He told BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "It is the first time I am able to come on and say I am not advising against booking holidays. Yes, you will want to check what the situation is in the next two to three weeks time.

"When the list is produced, you will want to know you have got holiday insurance and flexible flights, but for the first time there is light at the end of the tunnel and we will be able to restart international travel including cruises in a safe and secure way."

The traffic light system will categorise countries according to their risk based on their vaccination rates, the prevalence of Covid and its variants, and their capability to sequence the genome of the virus.

Only holidaymakers and travellers coming from "green list" countries will be exempt from quarantine, but they will still be expected to pay for gold standard PCR tests on their return to the UK at a cost of around £120 each – an extra charge of nearly £500 for a family of four.

Even people who have been fully vaccinated will still be required to take the PCR tests on or before the second day of their arrival back in the UK because of Government concerns that "green list" countries could still harbour new Covid variants.

Ministers say the plan will halve the cost for travellers from "green list" countries by removing the requirement for a second PCR test in the UK. They also plan to provide people with free lateral flow tests to take on holiday to use when they have to carry out pre-departure tests within 72 hours of their return flight.

They will attempt to head off criticism by promising a review of the scheme on June 28 that could ease restrictions and reduce the tests in time for the peak summer holiday season in July and August.

The "green list", which is not expected to be finalised until around May 10, might only be a handful of countries, according to sources, led by places with high vaccination rates such Israel, Gibraltar, Malta, the USA, the UAE and some Caribbean countries and British territories.

People arriving from amber countries in the traffic light system are required to self-isolate at home for 10 days, with tests on days two and eight which they are obliged to pay for. They can be released if they take a test with a negative result on day five.

Hotel quarantine will be required for "red list" countries at a cost of up to £1,750 per person, with tests on days two and eight included in the price. Every traveller coming into the UK will be required to have a further negative test within 72 hours before departure to the UK.