Related: Behind-the-Scenes on Team USA’s Dramatic Journey to the 2026 Winter Olympics
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Starfleet Academy Stops Playing Around With Standout Episode Perfect For Actual Trekkies
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Starfleet Academy has proven divisive to fans in large part because it is a strange brew: great actors and top-notch special effects mixed with weird characterization and writing straight out of an early aughts boner comedy. Defenders of the show have maintained that everyone just needs to give the series more time to find its space legs, and the latest episode may have effectively proved them right. “Come, Let’s Away” drops the awkward, forced humor of earlier episodes to deliver a tale full of action, romance, and higher stakes than Starfleet Academy has ever had before.
Part of what makes this particular Starfleet Academy episode so effective is the misdirection baked directly into its plot. “Come, Let’s Away” starts out with scenes of our characters hooking up, and it wisely leverages the solid chemistry between Caleb and Tarima before jumping into the main plot: a joint training exercise where Academy and War College cadets must restart a derelict starship. But when those cadets are kidnapped by killer cannibals, Chancellor Ake must turn to her old nemesis, Nus Braka, for help in saving her students’ lives.
Somehow, Star Trek Returned
For Star Trek fans wanting Starfleet Academy to be more like the Golden Age of Star Trek, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. First of all, it employs tropes and story beats very familiar to The Next Generation: for example, the cadets having to restart an old starship feels a lot like Riker having to get the USS Hathaway working for war games in “Peak Performance.” Speaking of Number One, “Come, Let’s Away” leans into Caleb and Tarima being the new Riker/Troi by giving them an Imzadi-esque mind link and having their shared romantic connection be a major key to resolving this plot.
While some Star Trek fans have enjoyed the show’s often lowbrow humor, I felt that this Starfleet Academy episode was much stronger for ditching the jokes and giving us an episode that plays out like a tense action thriller. From the moment they are captured, it is clear that our heroes are in mortal danger from bad guys (the Furies) who simply don’t play around. This is made abundantly clear when they partially eat a charismatic War College instructor (!) and then shoot his body out of the airlock to send a message to Starfleet.
The New Big Bad Is Finally Scary
The Furies are so dangerous that Chancellor Ake, at the urging of Admiral Vance, requests the help of Nus Braka, a notorious space pirate who has dealt with these foes before. This is definitely a stronger performance from Paul Giamatti than we saw in the first Starfleet Academy episode, and it helps that he is written much better. While his dialogue still has a few rough edges (like when he describes himself as “wanked” and “spanked”), he mostly comes off as genuinely dangerous, and his weirdly intimate interactions with Ake make him seem less like a Scooby-Doo villain and more like a flamboyant Hannibal Lecter.
Nus Braka is actually the personification of this episode’s greatest strengths: that it’s not afraid to raise the stakes by putting likable characters in mortal danger. In addition to offing the fun new War College instructor (and beware some major spoilers from here on out), they also kill B’avi, arguably the most likable of the War College cadets. Thanks to Nus Braka completely outwitting the Federation, his buddies were able to destroy a Starfleet vessel and ransack a starbase, giving this episode a shockingly high body count.
By Their Powers Combined
“Come, Let’s Away” is a far cry from the more carefree adventures of Starfleet Academy, but the grim subject matter also lends the show something it has desperately needed: some narrative weight. Previously, the show’s constant need to undercut tension robbed various episodes of their power, like filling the big, emotional Sisko episode with jokes about flatulence and genitalia. Also, it was tough to take SAM (a fairly solid character in her own right) very seriously in that Sisko episode because she spent most of her time onscreen talking and acting like a deranged TikTok skit come to life.
But SAM really shines in “Come, Let’s Away,” utilizing her powers in a logical way to restore power to a derelict vessel. Tarima uses her powers in a similarly logical way, and once she fully unleashes her abilities to pop some dude’s heads (Scanners-style!), we see how dangerous a Betazed warrior can be. Caleb also shines, both as Tarima’s partner in telepathic crime and as someone more resourceful than the average member of either the Academy or the War College.
The Ensemble Cast Finally Shines
While the plot involved sidelining some of the main characters (Darem and the Doctor mostly do little more than twiddle their thumbs), this episode of Starfleet Academy did a great job of highlighting most of the ensemble cast. The youngsters got to finally stop being quippy cadets and put their training to use in a life-and-death situation, and they all brought unique strengths to the table while working as a team. In this way, this is probably the most traditional Star Trek episode we have seen so far, and to my surprise, it really left me wanting more.
From the beginning, I have been one of Starfleet Academy’s harshest critics, but it’s not because I want the show to fail; the cast is talented, the SFX are beautiful, and the writers (especially Tawny Newsome) are passionate about the franchise. However, episodes are frequently hampered by bad comedy and low-stakes, teenage drama. To make matters worse, the show occasionally makes huge changes to the lore (like making most Klingons extinct in an offscreen event) that inevitably upset old-school Star Trek fans.
However, “Come, Let’s Away” ditches both the forced comedy and the teen drama, and we get to see these young characters deal with the most Star Trek situation of them all: an Away Team mission that goes catastrophically wrong. The characters are competent, the stakes are high, and the new villains are generally loathsome, adding to the show’s own lure rather than (ahem) cannibalizing older lore. Speaking of loathsome, Giamatti’s Nus Braka establishes himself as the guy you love to hate, and the combination of his master manipulation and his casual cruelty has made this former joke of a character as chilling as Gul Dukat ever was.
Is The New Star Trek Series Finally Worth Watching?
Only time will tell if Starfleet Academy can keep up the breathtaking momentum of this episode: Vance promises that capturing Braka is now Starfleet’s highest priority, and I can only imagine Chancellor Ake (who was uncharacteristically subdued for most of this episode) is itching for payback. This (plus Tarima being in critical condition) certainly implies that the rest of the season will be relatively serious, which is a relief to fans like me who have hated the hokey humor. Of course, the show has been wildly uneven from the beginning, so we may very well be back to goofy shenanigans in the very next episode.
Optimistically, though, I want to believe that Starfleet Academy writers have successfully pulled the rug on our expectations, pivoting the show from a goofy YA comedy fest to something more in line with the golden age of Star Trek. This would be a great way to thread the needle of appealing to older and younger fans, and it would even match the general arc of most YA stories (which inevitably pit their young protagonists against serious, seemingly unstoppable foes). If (and it’s admittedly a big if) that happens, Starfleet Academy could do what NuTrek has been failing to do for nearly a decade: bring generations of fans together in their love of the greatest sci-fi franchise ever made.
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Nicole Kidman sent fans into a frenzy with a stunning photo of herself just hours before Valentine’s Day.
This will mark the actress’s first Valentine’s Day celebrating solo, following her surprising split from Keith Urban last September.
The pair finalized their divorce last month, waiving both spousal and child support, while agreeing to a co-parenting plan for their two daughters.
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The Hollywood Veteran Looked At Ease In The Shot
Nicole Kidman treated her fans to a stunning photo on Instagram to herald Valentine’s Day as a single parent.
In the image, the “Big Little Lies” star is seated against soft white bedding, her posture relaxed and unguarded. One knee is bent and tucked partially beneath the blanket, while her hands rest loosely together near her lap.
She wore a pale pink pajama top with delicate vertical stripes, and its oversized fit draped effortlessly over her slender frame.
For the shot, Kidman styled her long blonde hair in soft, tousled waves that fell gently around her shoulders. Light streaming through the window catches in it, giving it a subtle shimmer. The same light grazed her face, which was tilted downward with her eyes closed.
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Rounding out the striking image was a caption from Nicole Kidman that seemingly embraced her new chapter as a single woman.
She wrote, “Happy Galentine’s,” a playful twist on the Valentine’s Day phrase that was popularized in a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation bearing the same name.
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Fans Labeled The Image Of Nicole Kidman In Bed ‘Divine’
Fans of the Oscar winner were quick to shower her with praise after she shared her Galentine’s Day snap.
One person wrote, “Happy Galentines. This photo of you is just divine. May you give yourself the love you deserve.”
Another commented, “God was in a really good mood the day he made you,” while a third stated, “Happy Galentines, keep your chin up, darling.”
“You are Absolutely Beautiful, Nicole, and Happy Valentine’s Day,” one more person commented.
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Nicole Kidman Recently Separated From Singer Keith Urban After 19 Years Of Marriage
The post comes four months after the shocking news of her separation from singer Keith Urban emerged.
The duo were married for nearly two decades and welcomed two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 15, during the course of the relationship.
At the time, rumors of infidelity swirled on the part of Urban, with fans digging deep to bring out clips of Urban’s cozy onstage antics with guitarist Maggie Baugh.
This includes a clip of him saying, “Maggie, I’ll be your guitar player,” a twist on a lyric in his 2016 song, “The Fighter.”
However, those rumors were never officially confirmed by either Kidman or Urban, and neither released a public statement to address their split directly.
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The Former Couple Finalized Their Divorce In January
After splitting in September, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban finalized their divorce last month.
According to the Daily Mail, the swift resolution appeared to be tied to the pair’s reported decision to separate amicably, a sentiment further reflected in the terms of their agreement.
The duo agreed to waive all rights to both child support and spousal support and also decided to divide all shared property in a manner satisfactory to both parties. This includes household furniture and appliances, vehicles, bank accounts, investments, and personal items.
Court documents also revealed that each party will retain what they individually owned, be responsible for their own legal expenses, and split any joint court costs incurred during the divorce proceedings.
The pair will also co-parent their daughters under a parenting plan that names Kidman as the primary custodial parent. Under the agreement, the children will spend 306 days per year with the actress, while Urban will have them for the remaining 59 days, including every other weekend.
All formal “discovery, including completing interrogatories and requests,” was also waived by the former couple.
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Nicole Kidman Has Made Multiple Public Appearances Since Finalizing Her Divorce
Since the turn of the new year, Kidman has been out and about, hinting that she is moving on just fine after her divorce.
Towards the end of January, she shared a raft of images documenting a snowbound jaunt to Antarctica with family and friends. Also, on the trip was the actress’s close sister, Antonia
A few days later, she turned heads in a quirky, feathered midi dress for her appearance at the Chanel Haute Couture spring/summer 2026 show.
That same month, she also made an appearance at The Peninsula Classes Best of the Best Awards in Paris, donning a long-sleeved, orange dress that hugged her slender frame and featured white-patterned details on the material.
through an airport terminal in Sydney on her way to an undisclosed destination. She wore head-to-toe Chanel, accessorized with dark sunglasses and a pair of sneakers.
Roomies… love is in the air, and Allison Holker is giving the internet all the feels. The ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ alum announced that she and Adam Edmunds are officially engaged after nearly two years of dating. And, the carousel of romantic photos she shared has the timeline melting. Allison’s engagement announcement comes three years after her husband Stephen “tWitch” Boss passed away in December 2022.
RELATED: Allison Holker Clarifies Why She Wrote A Book About Life With Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss
Allison Holker Announces Engagement
On Thursday, February 12, Allison Holker took to her Instagram and shared “We’re ENGAGED! It was the most romantic night of my life!” The dancer continued the post with “I am so in love with you Adam.” In the sweet snaps, Holker stunned in a red satin dress while her man Adam Edmunds rocked a crisp white button-up with a black blazer and pants.
And the proposal itself? Adam got down on one knee surrounded by a sea of red roses. The tech CEO even orchestrated a “surprise birthday party” that turned into a full-blown proposal party, complete with Clinton Kane singing their song, ‘I Guess I’m in Love.’ Holker also gushed about how Edmunds has impacted her and her kids’ lives, writing, “You helped me find me again and showed me how to love. Every morning I wake up I feel safe knowing you are My person at my side.“
Red Hearts & Congrats Pour In For Holker
Fans and fellow celebrities ran straight to Holker’s Instagram comment section to share their excitement about her engagement. Erica Mena was one of many stars to react with “Congratulations!!!!♥️” Meanwhile, a few commenters expressed how happy they were to see Holker finding love again after her journey through loss, sending nothing but good vibes her way.
This Instagram user @thetiabeestokes wrote, “Screaming with joy ❤️ so happpy for you sis!♥️😭 you deserve all the happiness and love“
And, Instagram user @agentnicolelynn shared, “Not that you need permission, but you absolutely deserve to have true love again! Congrats! ❤️”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @quinncy64 commented, “Omg congratulations🥹🥹😍😍🍾❤️🫶🏻❤️🫶🏻”
While Instagram user @lauradacity added, “The love. The smiles. The happiness. THAT DRESS. All of it. CONGRATULATIONS! 🍾🎉 ❤️”
Lastly, Instagram user @robson65 said, “Im happy you found love again.“
Allison Holker Moves Forward After Twitch’s Passing
For those keeping track, Allison Holker began dating Adam Edmunds a little over a year after the death of her late husband, Stephen “tWitch” Boss passed away in 2022. The couple went public with their relationship at a New York Fashion Week show in September 2024. Holker has been candid about her journey since Boss’ death, including addressing criticism over her memoir and taking moments to commemorate her late husband while raising their blended family. Allison and tWitch met during the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ wrap party in 2010. They later married in 2013 and were together until his passing in December 2022. They share three children together Maddox and Zaia Boss. Allison also has a daughter, Weslie Fowler from a previous relationship, but was later adopted by tWitch.
RELATED: Whew! Social Media Goes OFF After Allison Holker Drops Spicy Memory About Stephen “tWitch” Boss (WATCH)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Team USA figure skater Ilia Malinin’s peers rallied behind him after the gold-medal hopeful finished in a disappointing eighth place during the men’s singles competition.
“I was not expecting that,” Malinin, 21, told NBC Sports on Friday, February 13, after his final 2026 Winter Olympics performance. “I felt so ready getting on that ice. Maybe I was too confident it was going to go well.”
Malinin, affectionately nicknamed the “quad god” for the sheer number of quadruple turns in his routines, was the gold-medal favorite in the 2026 Winter Olympics. After finishing the short program at the top of the leaderboard, he slid down to eighth after falling twice and making a slew of technical mistakes in his free skate.
“Finally experiencing that Olympic atmosphere, it’s crazy. It’s really different,” he told NBC after his competition. “I blew it. There’s no way that just happened.”
Ahead of the individual event, Malinin helped Team USA win gold in the team event.
Keep scrolling to see how Malinin’s fellow skaters have reacted to his surprising eighth place finish:
Tara Lipiniski
Tara Lipinski served as a broadcaster during Malinin’s Olympics competition.
“The grace, honesty and sportsmanship you showed in a moment of heartbreak reveals you are not only an elite athlete but a gracious human being,” Lipiniski wrote via Instagram. “I can’t wait to watch you rise.”
Johnny Weir
Johnny Weir works with Tara Lipinski as an NBC commentator during the Winter Games.
“You are one in a million @ilia_quadg0d_malinin,” Weir captioned an Instagram tribute. “You showed true sportsmanship and grace. I can’t wait to see where you’ll take us next. 🤍”
Nathan Chen
Gold medalist Nathan Chen was also confused as to why Malinin faced many missteps in the free skate.
“Something happened tonight and, truthfully, I can’t even express what it might be,” Chen told Yahoo! Sports. “I definitely can reflect back on my experience in 2018, when I went into the short program with a lot of pressure, a lot of concerns in my head [and] a lot of doubt.”
Chen further noted that Malinin appeared to “hold back” on most of his elements throughout the Olympics routine.
“By the end of it, it just was not his night,” he said. “One of the hardest parts about performing for a huge sold-out crowd is that you really can viscerally feel the reaction from the crowd. … That hurts you to your gut. Mentally, you have to figure out what went wrong and how can I regroup for the next element? Also, the energy changes in the arena and you can feel there’s tension now.”
Chen also noted that Malinin is still young and is “still hungry” to overcome his 2026 Olympics outcome.
“He has so much potential,” Chen concluded. “Tonight is a night where he’ll have to reflect and reevaluate where he was mentally and physically, and try to identify how he can come into the next Olympics and have a different outcome.”
The 2026 Winter Olympics are officially here — and Team USA is arriving in Italy with star power, storylines and sky-high expectations. As the world’s best athletes descend on Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, all eyes are on the Americans: from Ilia Malinin’s can’t-miss moment in men’s figure skating to Mikaela Shiffrin’s long-awaited redemption tour on […]
Elladj Balde
Retired Canadian figure skater Elladj Baldé also offered his support.
“Figure Skating is one of the hardest sports mentally. The pressure is unbelievably heavy and there is no margin for error,” Baldé wrote via Instagram. “Tonight was a tough one but I am so proud of all of these skaters for the work they have put in to get here.”
Speaking to Malinin directly, he added, “You are an innovator and trailblazer of this sport and what you bring to the ice is far greater than simply your jumping ability.”
Entertainment
Jennifer Lawrence has 1 regret about hosting “SNL” with walking pneumonia that has nothing to do with being sick
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The actress said she made the gig “everybody else’s problem.”
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“That was the government!” the “I Like It” rapper joked after returning to her feet.
Spencer Pratt’s Sister
A Vote For My Bro is a Vote For Stupidity!!!
Published
|
Updated
Spencer Pratt might have a ton of supporters backing his Los Angeles mayoral run … but, his sister Stephanie isn’t one of them — because she’s warning people not to elect him!
Stephanie took to social media Saturday to bash her bro’s political ambitions … admitting he’s done great work for the Pacific Palisades community — but he can’t be responisible for 4 million citizens.
Spencer’s only running to boost sales of his memoir “The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions from a Reality TV Villain,” Stephanie claims … and, she tells people to just wait and see what he does with their tax dollars if elected.
Stephanie does write she’s worried about Los Angeles — referring to Mayor Karen Bass as “ASSBASS” in one post — but adds the city doesn’t need “another unqualified and inexperienced mayor. A vote for him is a vote for stupidity.”
Spencer announced his run for mayor last month … speaking mainly about the mismanagement by the local government of the Pacific Palisades Fire which burned his house among many other structures in the area.
TMZ.com
We spoke to Spencer at a campaign event last week, and he’s confident he can defeat Mayor Bass — who he calls Karen Basura, trash in Spanish — mainly because he’s sure she’s going to end up in jail for obstruction of justice. Much of his comments seemed ripped straight from the President Trump political playbook
However, if he wants to move into the mayor’s residence, the Getty House, Spencer may need to address the discord in his own.
We’ve reached out to Spencer … so far, no word back.
Since the premiere of Love Is Blind in 2020, fans have wondered how effective the concept of speed-dating without seeing the other person actually is.
The show, which has aired eight seasons and spawned multiple international iterations, follows singles dating in pods over the course of 10 days. The kicker, of course, is that they cannot see one another. If couples find love, then they will get engaged without ever meeting face-to-face.
After leaving the pods, pairs will decide if their blind love can withstand real-life pressures and a wedding date within weeks.
Love Is Blind has proven to be a success with several couples, from Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton to Bliss Poureetezadi-Goytowski and Zack Goytowski, finding lasting love. Bliss and Zack even welcomed the first Love Is Blind baby, a daughter named Galileo, in 2024.
Scroll down to find out whether your favorite Love Is Blind couple is still together:
Entertainment
Ex-Disney head Michael Eisner slams networks for paying Trump money in settlements over Kimmel: 'That was bad'
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Eisner addressed his reason for speaking out after Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show was suspended.
Travis Kelce
Maybe, I Should Stick to Football …
Hits Another Woman with Golf Ball!!!
Published
Travis Kelce‘s used to big hits while playing sports … but he’s not usually the guy doling them out — and certainly not with a golf ball!
The Kansas City Chiefs star played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Friday … but ran into some trouble on the 18th hole — when he shanked a ball that smacked a bystander.
Check out the clip … the woman is being attended to by several staff members when Travis wades through the crowd.
Travis asks if she’s alright … and, the woman — later identified as Edenne Flinn of Salinas, California — seems to tell him she is. According to reports, Kelce signed an autograph for her.
JULY 2024
TMZ.com
While we’re sure Travis’ golf game has improved over the years, this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this. We shared video with you in 2024 of Kelce comforting a bloodied woman after he hit her with a golf ball in Lake Tahoe.
Bottom line … Travis turns golf into a full contact sport — so keep your head on a swivel!
‘Silence of the Lambs’
Buffalo Bill Actor Addresses Transphobia Controversy …
‘F***ing Wrong’ Portrayal
Published
“Silence of the Lambs” totally missed the mark when it came to handling gender identity onscreen … so says one of the movie’s biggest stars.
Ted Levine — the actor who played Buffalo Bill in the hit 1991 film — finally addressed the controversy surrounding his character in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Buffalo Bill is a serial killer who flays women and wears their skin over his own … which, in more recent years, many have claimed makes the character an unflattering portrayal of transgender or gender nonconforming people.
Levine told the outlet he didn’t play the character as either … he always portrayed him as a screwed-up straight man — and, he had no qualms about the character while shooting the movie.
However, Levine says now, “[It’s] just over time and having gotten aware and worked with trans folks, and understanding a bit more about the culture and the reality of the meaning of gender. It’s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it’s f***ing wrong.”
Producer Edward Saxon echoed Levine’s sentiments … telling THR the filmmakers didn’t think they’d upset the transgender community because they didn’t consider Buffalo Bill trans.
They felt he just was a sick individual with an “aberrant personality.” However, Saxon admits he feels the team wasn’t sensitive enough to sterotypes.
He goes on, “There’s regret, but it didn’t come from any place of malice. It actually came from a place of seeing this guy. We all had dear friends and family who were gay. We thought it would just be very clear that Buffalo Bill adapts different things from society, from a place of an incredibly sick pathology.”
BTW … Saxon also takes aim at President Donald Trump in the interview — telling the outlet he feels the prez likening immigrants to Hannibal Lecter is “as perverse as anything we were able to come up with in the film.”
Bottom line … people involved in the film weren’t trying to offend anyone — but, they certainly understand why they did.
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![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)
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Sports5 days ago
Kirk Cousins Officially Enters the Vikings’ Offseason Puzzle