BOSSES at Stansted Airport have welcomed the relaxation of overseas travel rules during the pandemic

Pre-departure Covid tests for travellers arriving in England are to be scrapped, Boris Johnson announced today, in a major boost for the beleaguered travel industry.

In a Commons statement, the Prime Minister said the Omicron variant is now so prevalent in the country that the measure is having limited impact on the spread of the disease.

The requirement for travellers to self-isolate on arrival until they receive a negative PCR test is also being dropped.

Instead, the rules will revert to the system in place in October, with travellers required to take a lateral flow test within two days of their arrival.

Mr Johnson told the House: "When the Omicron variant was first identified, we rightly introduced travel restrictions to slow its arrival in our country.

"But now Omicron is so prevalent, these measures are having limited impact on the growth in cases, while continuing to pose significant costs on our travel industry.

"So I can announce that in England from 4am on Friday, we will be scrapping the pre-departure test, which discourages many from travelling for fear of being trapped overseas and incurring significant extra expense."

Stansted Airport managing director Steve Griffiths said: "Today’s announcement is very positive news and will help restart the recovery of the travel and tourism sector.

“The removal of these temporary measures is important recognition that travel restrictions should not remain in place if they no longer help prevent the spread of the virus.

“By removing barriers to travel in what is a critical period for forward-booking passengers looking to travel through London Stansted can now plan ahead with confidence.

“We look forward to working with Government on a roadmap for the removal of all remaining restrictions, in order to help our prized aviation sector enjoy a full recovery.”