Heathrow to fast track arrivals for double-jabbed passengers

Heathrow is to provide fast-track lanes for fully-vaccinated arrivals as the airline industry steps up pressure on ministers to open up quarantine-free travel to amber destinations.

Under a pilot programme to be launched this week, passengers from selected destinations will be able to upload their coronavirus vaccination certificate before boarding.

On arrival at the airport, they will then be directed to dedicated lanes at the border to speed their passage through immigration.

Boris Johnson is said to favour easing the controls from July 19 – when other Covid lockdown restrictions in England are due to be lifted – according to The Times.

Heathrow together with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic – the two airlines involved in the trial programme – said it was essential that there was no delay in implementing the changes.

The scheme will initially involve fully vaccinated volunteers travelling on selected flights from Athens, Los Angeles, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and New York.

His comments were echoed by Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss who said: “To reap the benefits of the UK’s world-leading vaccine roll out, the UK Government must act now to remove self-isolation for fully vaccinated passengers arriving from amber countries, and no later than the domestic reopening on July 19.

“The UK is already falling behind US and EU and a continued overly cautious approach towards international travel will further impact economic recovery and the 500,000 UK jobs that are at stake.”

Meanwhile, Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told The Sun: “It would be pointless introducing it in mid-August as the summer travel season will have been lost almost entirely — along with tens of thousands of jobs.”

However, there was consternation among some Tory MPs the change will not come into force until August 16, almost a month after other controls are due to have ended.

With cases continuing to soar, there were fears millions of people could be required to quarantine in the meantime, potentially damaging output just as the economy looks to pick up pace.

Mr Javid has acknowledged the numbers of new infections could rise to 100,000-a-day as restrictions come to an end.

However former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith warned the hospitality sector – already ravaged by the economic fallout from the pandemic – could be particularly hard hit by the delay in easing the self-isolation rules.

“Why would you even go to a pub (after step four of the lifting of lockdown)? This makes it worse,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“I wouldn’t go to a pub that wasn’t still having six around a table and social distancing, otherwise you run the risk of everyone in the pub being pinged and locked down.”

Mr Javid said the aim was to “manage the virus in a way that is proportionate to the pandemic” while maintaining as much freedom as possible.