Swiatek and Sabalenka withdraw from Dubai WTA 1000
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have both withdrawn from the Dubai Tennis Championships.
World No. 1 Swiatek confirmed her decision was due to a scheduling change, opting to skip the tournament as she looks ahead to the next phase of the season.
“I am sorry to announce that I will not be playing Dubai this year due to a change of schedule,” Swiatek said. “I hope I will come back next year to experience the great tournament. See you guys in Indian Wells.”
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Sabalenka also announced her withdrawal, citing fitness concerns after a busy run of matches.
“I’m really sorry I have to withdraw from Dubai,” she said.“I have such a special connection with the tournament, the fans and the city. Unfortunately, I am not feeling 100%. But I hope to be back next year and wish the tournament a great event.”
The double withdrawal removes two of the biggest names from the Dubai draw and reshapes the field ahead of the WTA 1000 event.
Crysencio Summerville once again showed his importance to West Ham as they needed extra time to see off League One Burton and advance to the last 16 of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win.
Nuno Espirito Santo made 10 changes at the Pirelli Stadium against a team with big relegation worries of their own and the Hammers were labouring until the game moved into extra time.
But five minutes after the restart Summerville, an 83rd-minute replacement for Ollie Scarles, provided the inspiration that had been so sorely lacking inside the regulation 90 minutes, picking the ball up on the left touchline just inside the Burton half and bursting towards goal.
The 24-year-old beat two defenders before hitting a shot which deflected off Terence Vancooten to loop over Brad Collins for his sixth goal in his last seven games.
That run of form started in West Ham’s third-round win over QPR in this competition, and has fuelled a run of three Premier League wins in five to offer renewed hope in their bid to escape the relegation zone.
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“He’s in a good moment,” Nuno said. “Summerville is full of confidence. Everything that he does seems to go well, so we have to take advantage of it.”
Summerville scored only once in his first 38 games for West Ham after joining from Leeds in the summer of 2024, with his first season curtailed last January when he suffered a hamstring injury. But he is in electric form at present.
“It’s confidence,” Nuno said. “With forward players you know how it is. It’s all about confidence because many of the actions are individual. He’s in a good moment, he’s working for the team, he knows that he can make the difference.”
West Ham needed someone to make that difference after coming up against a determined Burton side who held their own for much of the afternoon.
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The team sitting fourth bottom of the third tier limited their Premier League opponents to a number of half-chances yet lacked the quality to test Alphonse Areola themselves.
The Hammers still had plenty to do after Summerville’s goal and were made to hang on for the last 20 minutes after Freddie Potts was sent off for a poor challenge through the back of Julian Larsson.
“I didn’t see the images so it was not fair for me to judge the decision,” Nuno said. “But I insist again, I feel Freddie Potts is not a violent player. He’s very fair. He’s aggressive, he has to be, but he’s not violent at all.”
Burton boss Gary Bowyer felt his side should have had a first-half penalty when Jake Beesley went down under a challenge from Konstantinos Mavropanos, but was proud of their efforts.
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“The way we took a Premier League team to the last seconds of extra time is a credit to the boys and the football club,” he said.
“We started the game well. We knew they’d made 10 changes so it takes a while to get into the flow. Our pitch as well is a bit of leveller so we knew there were opportunities for us.
“In the key moments we haven’t quite been able to execute them and then it’s a piece of quality from Summerville. It’s what he can do, isn’t it?”
‘One day, you’ve to watch me play for India in a World Cup from the stands’: How Abhishek Sharma is fulfilling an old promise in Colombo | Cricket News
Abhishek Sharma with his father Rajkumar Sharma and mother Manju Sharma (Special arrangement)
TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Before the 2018 U-19 World Cup, Abhishek Sharma pleaded with his father, Rajkumar Sharma, to get a passport and come to New Zealand to watch him play. Rajkumar Sharma refused, saying he would travel abroad only if Abhishek played a Test match, an ODI World Cup, or a T20I World Cup. The 16-year-old was heartbroken, but he made a promise to his father: “One day you will have to come and watch me live from the stands. I will play in a World Cup for India.” Eight years later, Rajkumar Sharma, along with his wife Manju Sharma, daughter Komal Sharma and son-in-law Lovish Oberoi, is in Colombo to watch Abhishek play a World Cup match for India.
T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha press conference ahead of India vs Pakistan
“I have seen his IPL matches and some India matches but I have never watched him play a World Cup match from the stands. This is my first time,” an emotional Rajkumar Sharma told TimesofIndia.com.“He wanted us to travel to New Zealand during the U-19 World Cup, but I didn’t go. I challenged him that the day he plays for India in a senior World Cup, ODI or T20I, or Tests, I will travel wherever the venue is, to watch him play. I did break his heart, but I also gave him a goal in life,” Sharma senior said.The world’s leading T20I batter did not have an ideal start to the tournament. He played with a stomach infection against the USA in Mumbai. Although his innings lasted just one ball, his condition worsened. He had a high fever when the team landed in Delhi for the Namibia match. It got so severe that the southpaw had to be admitted to the hospital for a night. The illness also caused drastic weight loss.His family rushed to Delhi to be with him. After seeing his son lying on the hospital bed, Rajkumar Sharma decided to cancel his Colombo tickets, but Abhishek assured him that he would be fit for the February 15 match against Pakistan.“Karoron logon ki dua thi, woh kaise fit nahi hota?” said Rajkumar Sharma. (When millions of people were praying for him, how could he not be fit?)Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who saw Abhishek’s onslaught from close quarters during the Asia Cup in Dubai, is also an admirer of the Indian batter.“We all know he’s a good player and I really hope he plays tomorrow because we want to play against the best team they have. I really hope he is recovering well and can play tomorrow,” Agha told reporters at the R Premadasa Stadium on the eve of the highly anticipated match against India.Abhishek’s father said he was grateful that his son was admired not only within his own team but also in the opposition camp.India captain Suryakumar Yadav also hinted at Abhishek’s return during the press conference.“If he wants him to play, then we’ll play him tomorrow. Done. If the opposing team’s captain is saying it will be good if Abhishek Sharma plays, then let’s play him. No problem,” Surya said.Back from the hospital bed, Abhishek Sharma batted for an hour in the nets. His session was divided into two parts. In one net, he faced fast bowlers, mostly net bowlers. In the second stint, he took on the spinners. There were a few hits and misses, but the sound off the bat was a clear signal that the Amritsar marauder was back, with plenty of critics to silence, including former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir.
“He is a slogger. That is how I see him. A player who cannot judge the line and defend the ball properly, can I call him a proper batter? He comes in and swings hard, and it connects well for him right now,” Amir said on the show Haarna Mana Hai.“But the day he learns to handle tough lines and defend properly, I will change my opinion. You are playing on small grounds and flat wickets. You have not really been tested yet,” Amir added.“Let him tour South Africa, New Zealand and England, where the ball moves. That is where the real test will be. If he succeeds there, I will be the first to call him a proper batter,” he said.Since making his debut in July 2024, Abhishek Sharma has emerged as one of the most destructive batters in world cricket. In 39 T20Is, the left-hander has scored 1,297 runs at a staggering strike rate of 194.45, with two centuries and eight fifties, while maintaining a strong average of 36.02.Although his father admits that watching his son bat increases his blood pressure.“I have told him so many times, ‘Kaake single bhi le’ (take singles as well). Now I have given up. But I sincerely hope he stays at the crease for longer. Right now, he is helping the team get ferocious starts, but if he can control his temptation a bit and bat till 15 overs, he can finish games quickly. But this approach has brought him so many blessings, so I have stopped complaining,” he said.As Abhishek Sharma prepares to walk out under the Colombo lights, the moment carries more than just runs and records. It is the culmination of a promise made by a teenager, the faith of millions who prayed for his recovery, and the quiet pride of a father finally watching from the stands. Whatever unfolds on the pitch, this World Cup night already stands as one of the most personal chapters of Abhishek’s journey.
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to expand his impressive business portfolio by tapping into the UK market, as his stance on retiring from football comes to light
Bruna Reis and Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter
15:42, 14 Feb 2026
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Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly planning to extend his brand into the UK. The 41-year-old, currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is believed to be interested in introducing his hotel and bar businesses to Britain.
The Manchester United legend teamed up with Portuguese hotel group Pestana in 2016 to launch a range of CR7-branded hotels and bars. He owns CR7-branded establishments in Madrid, Funchal, Lisbon, Marrakech and New York.
According to The Sun, the partnership, which operates Inverse by Pestana CR7 venues throughout Portugal, has applied to register the trademark in the UK. The report suggests that Ronaldo, who remains immensely popular in Manchester, recognises the strong potential market in the city should he decide to open a bar or hotel there.
Ex-United team-mate Gary Neville already operates Hotel Football, located near Old Trafford. While there’s no sign of Ronaldo retiring soon, those close to him reportedly think his increasingly proactive business approach indicates he’s preparing for life after football.
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Despite already amassing a fortune worth hundreds of millions, he continues to broaden his portfolio across fashion, fitness and hospitality sectors.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which monitors the world’s wealthiest individuals, Ronaldo’s net worth is estimated at £1.04billion.
His worth takes into account career earnings, investments and endorsements, with Bloomberg estimating that his salary income from 2002 to 2023 surpassed £410 million.
His transfer to Al‐Nassr in 2022 saw him sign a reported annual salary of £177million, and he has since agreed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2027.
The 41-year-old sat out matches against Al-Ittihad and Al-Riyadh as a way of expressing his dissatisfaction with Al-Nassr, the Pro League and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF).
He has been upset over a lack of transfer activity at the club, as well as the reduced influence of his allies, chief executive Jose Semedo and director of football Simão Coutinho.
However, Ronaldo has since ended his strike action and is expected to play a key part in Al-Nassr’s clash with Al Fateh on Saturday evening.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
World Curling has addressed the cheating allegations that rocked Friday night’s round-robin game between Canada and Sweden, concluding that “no violations were recorded” during the umpires’ observations that followed the claims.
Tensions flared when Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson accused Canada’s Marc Kennedy of double-touching the stone. Videos shared online appeared to show Kennedy touching the stone with an extended finger after he released the handle.
Sweden’s Rasmus Wranaa (L) reacts next to Canada’s Ben Hebert during the curling men’s round-robin between Canada and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 13, 2026.(Tiziana FABI / AFP)
The two opponents exchanged words when Eriksson said, “Maybe it’s okay touching the rock after the hog line, I don’t know.”
Kennedy then fired back, “Who’s doing it? I haven’t done it once, you can f— off.”
The two continued to exchange words, but it was Kennedy who used profanities to express his displeasure with the accusations.
“Come on Oskar, just f— off.”
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World Curling released a statement Saturday addressing the controversy – both the accusations and Kennedy’s sportsmanship.
Canada’s Brad Jacobs and Marc Kennedy in action during the men’s curling round-robin session against Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The event took place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 13, 2026.(AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
“Game Umpires are situated at the end of each sheet and physically cannot see every delivery infraction. However, when they are made aware of delivery issues, game umpires are positioned to observe the delivery for three ends. During this period of observation in the Friday evening game, there were no violations recorded,” the statement began, noting that video replay is not used during games and an umpire’s call is final.
The sports governing body also addressed two rule concerns, including “double-touching” and touching the granite. According to the rules, players can retouch the handle multiple times, but “touching the handle after the hog line is not allowed and will result in the stone being removed from play.”
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Additionally, the stone will be removed from play if the granite is touched at all during “forward motion.”
As a result of the allegations, World Curling said that two officials will be positioned to observe all deliveries beginning with Saturday’s games.
Canada’s Ben Hebert, Canada’s Brad Jacobs and Canada’s Brett Gallant compete in the curling men’s round robin between Canada and Sweden during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 13, 2026. (Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Canada was also issued a verbal warning from World Curling for Kennedy’s language during the game.
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“During that meeting it was made clear to those officials that further inappropriate behavior, determined by rule R.19 would result in additional sanctions,” the statement read. According to the rule, Kennedy could face suspension if he commits another violation.
Rennes returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion on Friday, claiming a 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain and handing Lens the chance to reclaim top spot.
Breezy Johnson recently shared Mikaela Shiffrin’s amusing reaction to the American pop star Taylor Swift celebrating her engagement. Along with a gold medal, Johnson took home a precious ring as her longtime boyfriend, Connor Watkins, proposed to her near the finish line after she completed her super-G run.
The American skier’s boyfriend popped the question after Johnson’s quest for a super-G title ended with a crash. As she reached the finish line, Watkins was waiting with a ring in his pocket. Reciting lyrics from the Taylor Swift song “Alchemy,” Watkins pulled out the ring with a blue gem at the center of a white sapphire set.
He also gave her a piece of wood which had the lyrics “Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?” from “Alchemy” carved on it. The iconic proposal did not go unnoticed by Taylor Swift, who congratulated the couple on the Instagram post by referencing another lyric from the song:
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“Where’s the trophy? He just comes running over to me’ CONGRATULATIONS!!!”
Swift’s reaction was noticed by Shiffrin, who was present on the site when the heartwarming moment unfolded. After the American singer’s comment, Shiffrin expressed her jealousy towards Johnson, who opened up about her teammates’ feelings, saying:
“I just lost it. I did not expect the way that it grew legs and ran, and then she commented, and I was like, ‘Oh my God’ and then Mikaela was there, and like I could tell she was like, ‘I’ve never been so jealous of Breezy in my life.’”
Breezy Johnson won a gold medal in the downhill event at the 2026 Winter Games.
When will Mikaela Shiffrin compete next at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Mikaela Shiffrin during the Women’s Team Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Images via Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin competed at the Winter Olympics in the team combined event and slalom. However, she fell short of registering a win after finishing in fourth and 15th in combined and slalom, respectively.
She still has the opportunity to medal in Italy, and end her no medal draught from the 2022 Beijing Games. Shiffrin will next compete in the slalom. The women’s slalom schedule at the 2026 Winter Olympics is given below:
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Feb. 15: Women’s giant slalom run 1 | 4 a.m. ET
Feb. 15: Women’s giant slalom run 2 | 7:30 a.m. ET
Manchester United have been warned they will face challenges keeping players happy if Marcus Rashford returns from his Barcelona loan spell this summer
Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has indicated it will be tricky to see Marcus Rashford make his way back to Old Trafford, with the club also needing to maintain harmony among other squad members. The 28-year-old has flourished during his loan spell at Barcelona, which is set to conclude this summer.
Barcelona hold an option to make the move permanent for £26million, and Rashford has repeatedly expressed his desire for the transfer to happen. Yet, if Barca opt against triggering the clause and he heads back to United, Brown reckons it could prove challenging for the manager, be that Michael Carrick or another appointment, to maintain positive working relationships.
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Speaking to Betting Lounge, Brown said: “It’s a tough one. For me, it’s all about relationships. There’s a lot of players to keep happy. That’s another matter the club will have to deal with.
“If Marcus Rashford did come back, I don’t think he would have a problem with anyone, and there wouldn’t be a problem on the pitch given the quality he has.”
Former Reds manager Ruben Amorim excluded Rashford from his squad due to worries about his training standards and failure to fulfil expected professional benchmarks. That call eventually resulted in the forward’s loan moves to Aston Villa and subsequently Barcelona.
Brown continued by suggesting that lifting silverware with the Spanish champions before the season’s conclusion would prove hugely significant for him, particularly after everything that transpired in Manchester.
“On a personal note I think it’d be brilliant for Marcus Rashford if he can win the Champions League with Barcelona,” the former defender continued.
“He’s a local lad. You could see he’d had some fallings out with management when he was at United.
“We’ve seen that throughout the years in football. It can happen. He’s managed to get a good move for himself going to Barcelona and the pressure’s on Marcus out there and he’s handling it very well.
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“He’s doing some really good things on the pitch as well as scoring. The team’s embraced him and they’re in a good position to win some big trophies. You just hope that’s the case.
“Who knows what can happen after that. After this season is done, he probably won’t be coming back to United, but at the same time you have to respect it. People want Marcus to do well.”
His impressive form was recently disrupted by a minor knee problem, forcing him to miss the 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first leg loss at Atletico Madrid. Nevertheless, he could be back in action against Girona in La Liga on Monday evening.
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2 min read Last Updated : Feb 02 2026 | 12:31 PM IST
Some protesters wore clown masks as disgruntled Manchester United fans marched toward Old Trafford on Sunday to express their anger at the ownership of the club.
The 1958 – the fan group organizing the march – has been a vocal critic of the Glazer family, which took a controlling stage of United in 2005, and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of petrochemical giant INEOS who assumed control of the club’s soccer operations in 2024.
The latest anti-ownership demonstration took place ahead of United’s Premier League match against Fulham.
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Fans chanted against the owners and held banners as smoke from flares filled the air while the protesters marched down Sir Matt Busby Way to the forecourt at the stadium.
Greater Manchester Police indicated there were between 500 and 600 protesters and no arrests had been made.
The 1958 group has complained about the “dysfunctional, inept ownership” of the 20-time English champions, whose last league title was in 2013.
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The Glazers have been unpopular among fans since their leveraged buyout of the club 21 years ago. There was hope Ratcliffe – a boyhood United supporter – would bring the good times back but his minority ownership has so far been marked by high-profile hirings and firings, ticket price hikes and sweeping cost cuts.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The annual exhibition of high-flyers will be on display at the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest on Saturday night. The four-man field features two rookies in Jase Richardson and Carter Bryant, as well as two vets in Jaxson Hayes and Keshad Johnson. Mac McClung, who has won each of the last three competitions, won’t be going for an unprecedented fourth victory at the Slam Dunk Contest 2026. Each player will have two dunks in the first round, with those with the highest average score advancing to the finals, which will also consist of two dunks.
The Intuit Dome in Los Angeles will host the NBA Slam Dunk contest, the third event of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which begins at 5 p.m. ET. The latest 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest odds via FanDuel Sportsbook have Bryant as the +180 favorite, followed by Hayes at +250. Johnson comes in at +320, while Richardson — son of two-time slam dunk champion Jason Richardson — is the biggest longshot at +350. Bryant and Hayes are the favorites to qualify for the finals at -155 and -140, respectively.
Hartstein is SportsLine’s senior analyst and a founding member of the Early Edge podcast. He’s excelled in multiple sports, and enters the All-Star break having nailed eight of his past 13 NBA prop picks. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
One shocker: Hartstein is fading Bryant, despite being the +180 outright favorite. The Spurs rookie clearly has lots of promise as an overall player, as just three days before the dunk contest, San Antonio cut former top-10 pick Jeremy Sochan to get Bryant on the court more. But with Bryant’s youthful exuberance also comes a bit of risk, as he’s gone on record in saying one of his planned dunks will “test my limits,” which sounds like a great idea on paper. However, adding complexity to a dunk raises the probability of then missing that dunk, which would hurt his score from the judges.
Missed dunks have been an issue for the rookie in games, as he’s only connected on nine dunks across 14 dunk attempts (64.3%). Granted those came against defenses, but for comparison, those five missed dunks are more than Johnson and Richardson combined this season, while Hayes has connected on 90.4% of his dunks.
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Additionally, nearly all of Bryant’s dunks have come in garbage time, so the unknown of how he’ll perform when the spotlight is on him is yet another reason to fade the favorite. You can see who to back here.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), announced Nothing phones as their new title sponsors for the next two seasons on Tuesday. The announcement was made through a social media post on Instagram with the caption, “Two years. One partnership. @nothingindia, let’s do this.”
Check the full video here:
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RCB COO reacts to new sponsor
Reacting to the announcement, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Chief Operating Officer Rajesh Menon said the franchise was thrilled to partner with Nothing as its new title sponsor, describing the association as a natural fit.
Menon noted that Nothing’s bold, creative and next-generation outlook aligns seamlessly with RCB’s progressive identity and strong connect with young fans. “We are delighted to welcome Nothing into the RCB family. Their approach to innovation and design resonates with what RCB stands for, both on and off the field,” he said.
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RCB’s win in 2025 is inspiring: Nothing co-founder
Commenting on the partnership, Akis Evangelidis, Co-founder and India President of Nothing, said Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning campaign in 2025 was a source of inspiration.
Evangelidis noted that RCB’s championship run captured the passion, emotion and relentless energy that define cricket in India, making the association a natural fit. He added that partnering with the reigning champions as title sponsor aligns closely with Nothing’s own ambition and momentum as one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in the Indian market, and reflects the company’s desire to connect with fans through sport at its most powerful.
RCB part ways with Qatar Airways
Previously, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were backed by Qatar Airways as their title sponsor, a partnership that ran for three seasons. The agreement, estimated to be worth around ₹75 crore, played a key role in strengthening RCB’s commercial profile during that period. The association ensured strong brand visibility across jerseys, digital assets and match-day branding, before the franchise moved on to a new title sponsorship arrangement ahead of the latest season.
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-400x240.jpg)
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-80x80.jpg)
