Boris Johnson has been urged to abolish the use of the Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form as “no longer fit for purpose”.
The plea came in a letter to the prime minister from Crawley MP Henry Smith, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation.
Johnson has already indicated that the PLF is being reviewed with an update promised before Easter amid reported pressure from transport secretary Grant Shapps.
Smith said in his letter sent yesterday (Wednesday): “Whilst we welcome the fact that the recent relaxation of travel restrictions has made the UK one of the most open countries in Europe, we believe that more needs to be done to remove the final restrictions on international travel which continue to dampen consumer confidence and sector recovery.
“As we are sure you are aware, throughout the pandemic, the travel, aviation and tourism industries have suffered devastating losses and have been subject to a myriad of rules that have left them recording historically low passenger numbers.”
He pointed out that the trade is the only one left with any form of restrictions.
“Our travel, aviation and tourism sectors are crucial to the UK’s long-term recovery, and so t is vital to remove any and all remaining obstacles to their recovery,” the MP wrote.
“There is no doubt that many families and individuals across the UK will have been dissuaded this half-term from booking holidays abroad because of the unnecessary burden caused by the Passenger Locator Form.”
Smith concluded: “I urge you to remove the Passenger Locator Form to allow people both within the UK and around the world to fly again without facing unnecessary and frustrating rules and procedures that are no longer fit for purpose or necessary.
“This move should be part of a concerted effort to help these vital sectors to UK economic growth recover from the pandemic.”