THE owners of Stansted Airport say more needs to be done to give holidaymakers the confidence to book trips abroad.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said for the first time in "many months" he was not advising against booking foreign trips and people can "start to think" about booking overseas summer holidays.

He announced a "framework" for the resumption of overseas leisure travel yesterday, which included requiring all arrivals to take pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus tests.

Post-arrival PCR tests would cost about £120, he said.

But that led to a furious backlash from the travel industry, which wants travellers returning from low-risk countries to be allowed to take lateral flow tests, which are cheaper and quicker.

The Department for Transport refused to confirm whether foreign holidays will be permitted from May 17, which is the earliest date under the Prime Minister's roadmap for easing coronavirus restrictions in England.

It also insisted it was "too early to predict which countries will be on which list" under a new risk-based traffic light system.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns and operates Stansted, said: “Today’s announcement provides an initial framework for restarting international travel and creates the opportunity for people to visit foreign countries over the coming months.

“However, it is clear further work is needed in a number of areas to give travellers the confidence to book trips and set the UK’s aviation sector on a road to full recovery.

“Government needs to publish which countries will be in the green, amber and red categories of the ‘traffic light’ system at the earliest opportunity and confirm that travel can resume from May 17."

Ot is hugely disappointing it does not include a category for restriction-free travel – something that represents a backward step from the travel corridors in place last year

Mr Shapps admitted the cost of the test were a concern.

The MAG spokesman said: “We also share the Transport Secretary’s concern about the affordability of PCR tests, and we want to work urgently with government to help it deliver on its commitment to drive down these costs.

“The publication of this framework comes as the UK begins handing out free lateral flow tests to anyone in Britain, as the nation prepares to enjoy a fresh easing of lockdown restrictions and at a point when the UK is leading the world on vaccinations.

“That is why it is hugely disappointing it does not include a category for restriction-free travel – something that represents a backward step from the travel corridors in place last year."

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said the requirement for the tests was "a blow to all travellers" and risked "making flying only for the wealthy".

He added: "As the rest of British society and the economy opens up, it makes no sense to treat travel, particularly to low-risk countries, differently."