Jet2 cancels all flights and holidays until June amid travel uncertainty
Jet2 has suspended all flights and holidays up to and including 23 June due to uncertainty caused by the the UK government’s travel proposals, the CEO has announced.
The firm is one of the UK’s biggest holiday companies.
Affected customers would have their bookings automatically cancelled and refunded, the Jet2 has said.
The decision to cancel the schedule came with a “heavy heart”, said CEO Steve Heapy.
“We have taken time to study the Global Travel Taskforce’s framework, and we are extremely disappointed at the lack of clarity and detail.
“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.”
The transport secretary published the travel report today, which said international travel could resume from 17 May under a new ‘traffic light’ system.
Arrivals from ‘green’ countries would be exempt from quarantine, but would have to pay for a PCR test when back in the UK.
Countries wouldn’t be assigned a colour until early May, the government said.
Mr Heapy added: “Following the publication of the framework today, 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.”
He finished: “We welcome the government’s ambition to reopen travel, however the time has come for the industry to receive the necessary detail to make this happen.”
Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, said: “I’m afraid mass cancellations of hundreds of thousands of holidays in late May and June are an inevitable result of this report – which makes it clear travel abroad will be something of a niche occupation at least in early summer.
“With the restrictions that the government proposes to maintain at least initially, overseas travel will initially be principally for people who are desperate to see loved ones, as well as some opportunistic adventurers who don’t mind living with some uncertainty and paying hundreds of pounds for the privilege of re-entering the UK.”
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Travel news live: Jet2 cancels holidays and flights amid uncertainty
