The UK government is set to take a further step towards the normalisation of travel rules, as prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that double-vaccinated travellers will soon no longer have to complete a Covid-19 test on the second day after arrival in England. Although the government has not announced a timetable for the changes, there is speculation that it will be enacted in time for the half-term school holidays in mid-February. A further announcement on the plans is expected imminently. Johnson says the easing of restrictions will ensure that the UK is open to travellers and business. The BBC quotes him as saying: "What we're doing on travel, to show that this country is open for business, open for travellers, you will see changes so that people arriving no longer have to take tests if they have been vaccinated, if they have been double-vaccinated." Although Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own rules, they have previously followed England's position on testing. The airline industry has warmly welcomed the move. EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren states: "We now look ahead to what we believe will be a strong summer," when the low-cost carrier foresees returning to "near 2019 levels of flying". He adds: "We believe testing for travel should now firmly become a thing of the past. It is clear travel restrictions did not materially slow the spread of Omicron in the UK and so it is important that there are no more knee-jerk reactions to future variants." On 21 January, lobby group Airlines UK and Manchester Airports Group published a study that recommended the removal of testing requirements to enter the UK. The research, undertaken by consultants Oxera and Edge Health, suggested that governments are unable to implement travel restrictions quickly enough for them to be effective in limiting the spread of new variants. "As a result, imposing travel restrictions in response to the discovery of a new variant will not help control the spread of a new variant or protect public health," says Airlines UK. It presented the findings to the government ahead of the latest decision to remove testing requirements. The government has already announced that it is switching its 'use it or lose it' slot threshold rules to 70:30, encouraging airlines to add capacity back into the market.

Airbus has terminated Qatar Airways' order for 50 A321neos amid the two parties' dispute over premature surface degradation on some A350s and the airline's decision to halt further deliveries of the long-haul jet. The European airframer confirms that it terminated the narrowbody order "in accordance with our rights", but declines to provide detail on that decision. A skeleton argument presented by Airbus during a 20 January hearing at the UK High Court's technology and construction division in London shows that the airframer notified Qatar Airways about the A321neo order cancellation in the context of the A350 dispute, and that Airbus expects the termination to "give rise to a further issue between the parties". The Gulf carrier launched legal action against Airbus in December 2021 following months of bitter dispute about the A350 surface issue. The case centres on Qatar Airways' claim for compensation from the airframer for grounded aircraft as a result of the issue. Earlier in 2021, the Middle Eastern carrier said it had been ordered by Qatar's regulator to ground aircraft because of the surface degradation. Data lists 21 of Qatar Airways' 53 A350s as being in storage. A further 23 A350s are on order by the airline. According to Airbus's skeleton argument, Qatar Airways' total compensation claim amounts to more than $700 million and, in the airline's view, increases by $4 million every day. A second allegation by the Doha-based carrier is that Airbus failed to provide a "full root cause analysis" of the surface degradation issue in the airline's view. Airbus argues it has "fully complied with its obligation to provide a full root cause analysis of the condition". In its skeleton argument, the airframer says that Qatar Airways has not identified "any instances in which the root causes analyses produced by Airbus were wrong or failed draw the correct conclusions". Qatar Airways has refused to take delivery of further A350s until the dispute about the surface issue is resolved. Airbus argues the airline has since been in breach of contractual obligations to take delivery of two A350s. The 50 narrowbodies – 40 A321neos and 10 A321LRs, all to be powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines – represent Qatar Airways' only order with Airbus in addition the 23 on-order A350’s. Qatar Airways says its A321neo order is "an entirely separate" matter to the dispute about A350 surface degradation. Noting that it is "adhering to all of our obligations under all applicable contracts", the airline states: "It is therefore a matter of considerable regret and frustration that Airbus has taken the apparent decision to expand and escalate this dispute. We continue to urge Airbus to undertake a satisfactory root cause analysis into the cause of the defects." The carrier adds it "remains prepared to help with the root cause analysis however it can".

Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department on 21 January published a directive lifting its flight ban on Boeing 737 Max aircraft, allowing airlines to resume flights to airports in Hong Kong's airspace. The move may not immediately impact air traffic, however, as the Hong Kong government maintains a strict quarantine policy on international arrivals in support of its Covid-19 elimination policy. Furthermore, there are no airlines based in Hong Kong that operate Max jets or have them on order, the regulator's directive enables carriers to resume flying Max jets through Hong Kong International airport. Affected carriers with routes to Hong Kong include India-based Spicejet, which has 11 Max 8 jets in service; Singapore Airlines, which operates eight Max 8s; and Fiji Airways, which has five Max 8s in service. Each of those carriers is based in nations that have lifted flight bans on Max jets, which were first imposed in March 2020 following two fatal crashes. The Hong Kong regulator states that operators of Max aircraft must carry a valid certificate of airworthiness and make design changes equivalent to those ordered by the US Federal Aviation Administration, which in November 2020 lifted the US flight ban on Max jets. The government of mainland China has not yet lifted its flight ban on Max aircraft. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on 2 December published a directive allowing fixes to Max automated flight controls that contributed to two fatal crashes. Modifications including software fixes will be made to Max aircraft in China, but the CAAC may require additional steps before giving final approval for those jets to return to China's airspace. Boeing says that an estimated one third of the Max aircraft it has in storage are awaiting deliveries to China. Operators in the country grounded 97 Max jets in March 2019. That represents 66% of all Max aircraft in storage worldwide.