Passenger locator form to be ‘stood down’ from Friday

The passenger locator form and tests for non-vaccinated arrivals will not be required for UK arrivals from Friday.

Grant Shapps said on Monday that it would mean greater freedom ahead of the Easter school holidays.

Shapps said that all remaining Covid travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for all arrivals, will be stood down from 4am on March 18.

Due to our vaccine roll out, these changes are possible and give us more freedom in time for Easter.

TRAVEL UPDATE

All remaining Covid travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for all arrivals, will be stood down for travel to the UK from 4am on 18 March.

These changes are possible due to our vaccine rollout and mean greater freedom in time for Easter.

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 14, 2022

If necessary, the measures could be reintroduced in the future.

If there is another variant of concern, the government will take necessary measures.

Sajid Javid said that the vaccine programme had seen over 8 in 10 adults in the UK boosted.

Two years after the start of the Covid-19 epidemic, international travel is returning to normal, according to the chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.

Customers can now enjoy hassle-free travel, just like they did before the Pandemic, because of the removal of needless forms and ineffective testing regimes.

With Easter just around the corner and summer fast approaching, this announcement comes at the perfect time.

Since restrictions were removed at the beginning of the year, we have experienced strong, sustained demand and the complete removal of forms and requirements will increase that demand even more.

The removal of all remaining UK travel restrictions, including the Passenger Locator Form, is the final important step towards frictionless air travel, helping to further restore consumer confidence as we welcome more customers back to the skies this spring and summer.

With these barriers to travel removed, Britain is open for business and passengers can connect with loved ones and business colleagues again. It is vital that the UK government works closely with industry to ensure the UK border is ready for increasing passengers, as international travel ramps up.

Dale Keller, a member of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, applauded the move.

We urge the UK government to support the aviation sector as it invests in rebuilding the country's vital global connections in challenging times.

Travel Counsellor Emma Savage is on her phone. The PLF form is interfering with your last few days on holiday.

More to come.