All Covid-19 travel restrictions have officially been lifted for passengers arriving in the UK.
The final restrictions, including the end of passenger locator forms (PLFs), were removed at 4am on Friday (18 March).
Passengers who have not been vaccinated against Covid will also no longer have to take any tests when visiting the UK. The British government had announced its plan to lift all remaining travel restrictions earlier this week.
The move, which comes almost exactly two years after the UK’s first Covid lockdown was enforced, is seen as being a “watershed” moment for the travel industry, with many predicting that it will act as a huge boost for the corporate travel sector.
Aviation minister Robert Courts said: “Everything we have worked for - every jab, every test, and the sacrifices made by the whole country means that finally, nearly two years on, we can all travel without bureaucratic restrictions.”
The UK government is continuing to advise outbound travellers to check the Covid requirements and rules in the destinations they are travelling to.
But the road to recovery for business travel may still not be smooth with fuel prices and inflation rising rapidly as the war in Ukraine continues.
The UK’s Business Travel Association (BTA) said the second week of March saw the biggest drop in UK domestic and international business travel since the start of 2022.
Clive Wratten, CEO of the BTA, added: “At a time of increased uncertainty across the world and rising fuel prices threatening our industry, it is disheartening to see a reduction in business travel.”