UK in regular talks with US over potential travel corridor

UK and US government officials are in regular talks about a potential travel corridor between the two countries given their mutually high rate of coronavirus vaccinations, according to Britain’s transport secretary. Grant Shapps said he speaks to his US counterpart Pete Buttigieg “all the time” on the issue, and understands demands from the public and businesses to loosen restrictions between the nations. Shapps said Tuesday that a travel ban brought in by former US President Donald Trump more than a year ago would need to be loosened for an agreement to go ahead. “That is the thing that needs to lift in order to open up these different corridors,” the minister said. The UK government is under huge pressure from the airline industry to open up flights again after a year of Covid-19 restrictions that have brought the sector to its knees. PM Boris Johnson has stated an aim to resume some non-essential international travel from May 17, but this will not be decided until early May. Passenger numbers between the UK and US are down 99% this month compared with two years ago, according to American Express Global Business Travel, devastating both trade and tourism revenue.<br/>