The UK government will remove all 11 countries from its travel red list at 04:00 local time on 15 December. All existing Covid-19 testing requirements will remain in place and will be reviewed in the first week of January, UK health secretary Sajid Javid told the House of Commons on 14 December. The move means that from tomorrow, travellers arriving in England from Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will no longer be required to quarantine in government-appointed hotels. The UK added South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia to its red list on 26 November, following the emergence in South Africa of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. With Omicron now spreading rapidly within the UK, however, the decision has been taken to scrap the red list entirely. Trade association Board of Airline Representatives (BAR UK) has welcomed the move as a "pragmatic" step, and is calling for all travellers from the 11 countries already in quarantine hotels to be released immediately and refunded. It also argues that the testing restrictions are "ineffective" and says a January review is "critical". Airport Operators Association (AOA) chief executive Karen Dee says the removal of all 11 countries from the red list is "a welcome recognition that these measures have little purpose when Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant variant in the UK". She adds that "it is difficult to understand why the UK and devolved governments did not recognise that the same logic applies to the blanket, expensive and burdensome testing regime".

The largest airlines operating in the UK have called on prime minister Boris Johnson to remove the "disproportionate" travel restrictions enacted to slow the spread of Omicron, as well as provide further economic support to the sector. Amid the rapid spread of the Covid-19 variant over recent weeks, the UK government placed several African countries back onto its 'red' list, effectively closing down travel to and from those destinations, and made it mandatory for everyone arriving in the UK, including the fully vaccinated, to complete a pre-departure PCR test. The chief executives of British Airways, Ryanair, EasyJet, Virgin Atlantic, Jet2.com, Tui UK & Ireland and Loganair, as well as lobby group Airlines UK, argue in a joint letter that such moves have "severely undermined customer sentiment", hurting bookings into the crucial Christmas and New Year periods when up to 30% of annual tickets are typically sold. Such action could lead to "permanent scarring" of the industry, they warn. The letter, published ahead of meeting between several airlines and government officials on 13 December, calls on authorities to remove the need for testing of fully vaccinated individuals and for an immediate package of "bespoke economic support measures" for the sector. "Only the UK requires pre-departure and post-arrival PCR tests, irrespective of vaccination status. Whilst we have heard much talk of cracking down on the ‘rip-off’ testing regime – charging up to £399 [$529] for a PCR test – we’ve seen precious little action, despite repeated promises," it states. The signatories add that organisational problems have arisen for arrivals from red-list countries that have left passengers severely out of pocket. "Many people are stranded abroad through no fault of their own, due to a policy that cannot be executed properly." In recent days, the UK's largest airport London Heathrow warned that travellers were cancelling trips because of the spread of Omicron, while several airlines have noted a drop-off in bookings and souring customer sentiment.

Atlantic Joint Business partners American Airlines, British Airways and Level have announced several new routes between Europe and North America for summer 2022. BA says it will commence five-times-weekly flights to Portland in Oregon and a four-times-weekly service to Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania from London Heathrow on 3 June. Both routes will be operated with Boeing 787-8 aircraft, it adds. American plans to start serving Rome in Italy from Charlotte in North Carolina from 5 April. This route will be operated until 29 October, seven times a week using Boeing 777-200 aircraft. IAG-own Level plans to launch flights between Barcelona and Los Angeles on 28 March. The four-times-weekly service will be operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft. “Next summer brings exciting and convenient new routes for all of our customers, further connecting Europe with the USA", Atlantic Joint Business’ general manager Seb Seward says. “The Atlantic Joint Business offers huge benefits to our customers including the option to mix and match flights from any of the six airlines, to get the best deals and enjoy smoother connections – all on one booking.” The Atlantic Joint Business is a joint venture that started in 2010, between American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia, with Finnair joining in 2013, Level in 2017 and Aer Lingus in 2021.