By Samuel Indyk
Investing.com – Shares in UK-listed airlines were flying on Thursday morning after a report said the UK government is considering allowing fully vaccinated UK travellers to skip quarantine.
Under current guidelines, passengers must quarantine for up to 10 days upon their return from ‘amber’ list countries, which includes the most popular tourist spots of Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, and Greece. However, the latest proposals, first reported by the Telegraph, says British travellers returning from countries on the amber list could be allowed quarantine-free entry when they return to England.
A number of the popular destinations, including France, Spain, Greece, and Germany, exempt vaccinated passengers from quarantining in their own countries.
The Telegraph said the proposals to ease travel restrictions are at an early stage, but UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock is said to be “open” to the change.
“It is still at an early stage and it is not clear whether it will be worked out in time for the end of the month,” a source told the newspaper.
Nevertheless, the news that the UK is considering opening up its borders to those fully vaccinated will be welcome news for the hard-hit aviation industry.
Many of the best performing stocks in the UK are airlines with EasyJet (LON:EZJ), British Airways parent IAG (LON:ICAG), Wizz Air (LON:WIZZ) and Ryanair (LON:RYA) all posting strong gains.
Tour operators Tui (LON:TUIT) and Jet2 (LON:JET2) were also rising, while troubled jet engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce (LON:RR) saw its shares jump over 2%.
And the enthusiasm didn’t stop there, WH Smith (LON:SMWH), which runs concessions in many UK travel hubs, including airports, saw its shares rise over 3%.