Travel news latest: Fresh hopes for US and Australia reopening by Christmas

Qantas has made its firmest announcement yet on the resumption of international travel, with flights scheduled from Australia to the UK, US, Canada and beyond from December 18.

The country’s flag carrier will first launch routes from Sydney and Melbourne to London, Vancouver, and Singapore; followed the next day (December 19) with services to Los Angeles, Honolulu, Fiji and Tokyo, it confirmed this morning to Yahoo Finance.

No return routes from the UK to Australia have yet been announced. This is, however, the first time Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has committed to hard dates for outbound services since almost all passenger flights were grounded at the start of the pandemic.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrisson has said citizens can travel internationally once 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated. Thus far, about half of that target has been met, with 42.55 per cent of adults double-jabbed.

The Federal Government is in the process of developing a virtual border pass called the Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) which will apply to all travellers entering and leaving the country.

Scroll down for more of the latest.

Auto update

8:42AM

Travel chiefs demand all ‘unnecessary and unfair’ tests are scrapped

Despite indications from the government that PCR tests for travellers will be scrapped, industry chiefs are concerned that the prospect of even two lateral flow tests – up to 72 hours before departure and on day two of holidaymakers’ return to the UK – will deter people from flying abroad.

In a letter to Boris Johnson, 13 chief executives representing Britain’s main airlines, airports, tourism and business groups urged him to scrap all tests that were placing an “unnecessary and unfair” burden on vaccinated travellers.

They wrote:

We urge you to acknowledge the damaging and detrimental effect this ineffective regime has on the UK’s competitiveness, on the inbound visitor economy, and on people visiting loved ones, enjoying hard-earned holidays or travelling for important business connections.

Removing testing requirements for vaccinated passengers is an essential step towards solving these problems, without which the aviation sector and wider travel industry cannot recover.

8:32AM

End of PCR tests in sight for fully vaccinated travellers

Sajid Javid has signalled the end of PCR tests for fully jabbed holidaymakers as travel chiefs called for all tests for people arriving from low-risk countries to be scrapped.

The Health Secretary told MPs on Tuesday that they could expect the Government’s global travel review, due this week, to replace the expensive PCR tests with cheaper lateral flow tests.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also confirmed that the traffic light system would be simplified and the burdens of testing made “less onerous” for those returning to the UK.

Charles Hymas has the story.

8:15AM