US-UK travel corridor talks hit roadblocks over surge in cases – report
The chance of the UK and US opening an air “travel corridor” by the end of the summer is growing increasingly unlikely due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in Britain.
Citing officials involved in the talks, the FT reported that negotiations between the two nations, which had started last week, were now likely to stretch into August.
It was originally hoped that talks would be concluded by the end of July, opening up the chance of a corridor being open before September.
Growing concerns over the Delta variant, the nature of the US political system, and uncertainty over the Astrazeneca Covid vaccine were to blame for the delay, the officials said.
Airlines and businesses have been begging both governments for months to prioritise an air route between the two countries, saying it is vital for the economic recovery.
For aviation businesses, the transatlantic market is one of the most lucrative in the world, vital to the operations of carriers such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Ahead of the G7 meeting earlier this week, airlines from both sides of the Atlantic came together to ask leaders to reopen the route.
At first they appeared to get their wish, with Joe Biden and Boris Johnson setting up a taskforce to prioritise the plan.
But now it appears that the route will remain closed for months longer than initially hoped.
The White House said meetings about a US-UK travel corridor were “active and ongoing”.
A UK government spokesperson said: “Discussions between the working group are ongoing to ensure the UK and US closely share thinking and expertise on international travel policy going forward.”