Cyprus Mail 2 July 2021 - by Andrew Rosenbaum
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| Jet2 cuts flights and calls for government action. |
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have suspended all flights and holidays to countries on the UK’s amber list up to and including 18 July, the airline said in a statement released on Thursday.
The statement included an angry reprimand to the government for its restrictive policies on international travel: Only a few Green list destinations permit travel without quarantine restrictions in the UK Traffic Light classifications.
“We expect the same approach to international travel. If we are to use the term ‘Freedom Day,’ then people must have the freedom to travel to safe destinations overseas,” the statement said.
All flights and holidays to Turkey, which is currently on the UK’s red list, have also been suspended up to and including July 21, according to the statement.
The airline and tour operator said the decision had been made with the expectation that the UK government’s next review of the traffic light system would be on or around 15 July, the statement said.
The move does not affect flights and holidays to destinations on the green list which Jet2.com and Jet2holidays resumed operating on July 1.
“We welcome recent news reports about vaccinated people being able to travel to amber-list destinations without having to quarantine and we look forward to further updates on this as soon as possible,” the statement said.
“The vaccination programme has been a huge success, so it is time for us all to enjoy the benefits of that.
Where customers are affected by any programme changes outlined above, we will automatically cancel their booking with a full refund, and our team of travel experts will be in touch to help them to rebook their summer getaway.”
The airline said it would “continue to review our entire programme in line with updates from the government”.
“With the government looking to unlock restrictions on 19 July, we expect the same approach to international travel. If we are to use the term “freedom day”, then people must have the freedom to travel to safe destinations overseas,” added the airline and operator.
The only Jet2 destinations on the quarantine-free “green list” are Malta, Madeira and Spain’s Balearic islands: Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca
