Thousands of people have departed on international flights after the ban on foreign holidays was lifted for people in Britain.

Travel firms welcomed the boost in demand but called for coronavirus restrictions to be eased for more destinations.

Portugal, one of just a handful of destinations on the Government’s quarantine-free green list, will welcome 16 flights from England at Faro Airport in the Algarve on Monday.

Tui is using aircraft normally reserved for long-haul routes to accommodate the surge of passengers.

But Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of The Wellcome Trust charity, warned there “is a risk” that the coronavirus variant first identified in India could be transmitted by people travelling out of the UK.

“I think travel should still be very cautious and only when absolutely essential,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

This comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Times Radio that destinations on the amber list – which includes Spain, France, Italy and Greece – are “places that you shouldn’t go to unless you have an absolutely compelling reason”.

Those who do travel to an amber country are required to quarantine at home for 10 days on their return.

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