Jet 2 has taken the decision to extend the suspension of all flights and holidays up to and including June 23, following the publishing of the Global Travel Taskforce’s framework for the return to international travel.
In a statement the low-cost carrier’s CEO Steve Heapy said:
“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. 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.
Heapy added that “with a heavy heart” the group had decided to suspend all flights and holidays up to June 23.
In publishing the Global Travel Taskforce framework the government said that it was “too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer”, with plans to publish details by early May, as well as confirming at that stage whether international travel can resume from May 17.
However at the same time Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in an interview on the BBC’s Today programme that people could start to think about booking travel abroad, stating that “This is the first time I’m able to come on and say I’m not advising against booking foreign holidays”.
Jet 2 recently announced plans for nine new services from UK airports to the Italian destinations of Sicily and Sardinia, but these will not commence until the summer of 2022.
