A major title match for AEW Revolution has been confirmed after the results of Grand Slam Australia. Fans now know about Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s (MJF) next title defense.
Several top stars of the Jacksonville-based promotion were down under for Grand Slam 2026. The show featured several big-money title matches and some hard-hitting encounters. Major stars such as Friedman, Hangman Page, Jon Moxley, Toni Storm, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Andrade, and many more were in action during the event.
In the main event of the show, Max defended the AEW World Championship against Brody King. Despite King’s physical dominance, The Salt of the Earth managed to walk out with the win, continuing his title reign. Earlier in the night Hangman Page faced off against Andrade in a high-stakes one-on-one matchup. The winner of the match would go on to challenge the AEW Champion at Revolution. Page won the match with a brutal Buckshot Lariat and ended Andrade’s undefeated streak in AEW. With this win, Page is set to reignite his rivalry with MJF for the AEW title. The two men will face off in a high-profile championship match at Revolution 2026.
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MJF was confident of his chances at AEW Grand Slam Australia
The AEW World Champion was confident of beating Brody King ahead of their match. Despite a loss to the challenger on Dynamite in less than two minutes, MJF was sure of a win in Sydney.
During an interview, the star stated that he allowed himself to be distracted by Hangman Page during the match on Dynamite. However, the champ promised to be super focused during rematch, and claimed that Brody was not on his level.
Friedman held on to the AEW title for a record 406 days during his last title reign. It will be interesting to see how his current reign pans out in the coming months.
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Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad (García, Vinícius Júnior x2 & Valverde). A great performance with goals to match… This is my immediate reaction to the big win. Get more: Player ratings, interviews and a post game podcast.
Real Sociedad presented one of the biggest challenges so far Álvaro Arbeloa and his Real Madrid side, and the team would be without the likes of Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes. Gonzalo García would get the nod, ahead of even Kylian Mbappé, as he was joined by Vinícius Júnior in attack. Trent Alexander-Arnold was back, allowing Fede Valverde into the midfield. Castilla player of the season (so far) Cesár Palacios was called into the bench. Fede Valverde was the captain.
What should have been a challenge became quite the opposite, when Gonzalo García delicately poked the ball past the keeper after a superb Trent Alexander-Arnold cross picked him out. Dean Huijsen then gave away a penalty, which was scored by Mikel Oryazabal – before Vinícius Júnior scored one of his own moments later. Fede Valverde then extended the lead to make it 3-1 come half-time.
Vinícius Júnior got the second half going with another penalty kick, scoring to make it 4-1 and add another to his tally. This sadly put the game to bed early, and other than a penalty shout for Sociedad – little happened of note for the next half an hour. Madrid were playing well, though – and Trent Alexander-Arnold in-particular was earning a lot of plaudits on his return to action. Real Sociedad had a goal disallowed with five minutes left to play, before Vinícius was denied his hat-trick with a disallowed goal of his own in added time. Full-time: 4-1 to Real Madrid, and a great performance from the team. What are your thoughts?
One of the annual highlights of NBA All-Star Weekend features the league’s best marksmen competing from beyond the arc, and the 2026 NBA 3-Point Contest will take place on Saturday. The NBA 3-Point Contest field features two past winners in Devin Booker and two-time champion Damian Lillard, as well as All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray and Norman Powell. Veteran Bobby Portis and rookie Kon Knueppel round out the field. The event takes place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles during NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which has a start time of 5 p.m. ET.
Knueppel (+250) and Lillard (+430) are the top-two favorites to win, per the latest 2026 3-Point Contest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, with Booker at +600. Murray is +600, followed by Mitchell (+650) and Tyrese Maxey (+750). There’s potentially value at the bottom of the odds board in Powell (+1100), a former LA Clipper who is familiar with the Intuit Dome rims, and in Portis (+1600) who leads the field in 3-point percentage.
Barner is one of the most respected voices in the industry, and his work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and on Yahoo, RotoWire and KFFL. He’s also been featured on ESPN Radio. He digs deep into the data, examining team trends and projecting game outcomes. If there’s anybody who can spot an edge in a matchup or identify a player in position to break out, it’s him.
Barner’s expertise has been on full display lately as he enters the All-Star break on a 40-17 run on NBA picks (+2014). He is coming off a dominant 2024-25 NBA season, finishing 239-178-2 and returning $3,209 to $100 bettors. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Barner is fading Damian Lillard (+430), despite him being one of the favorites and a two-time winner of this event (2023, 2024). Lillard has not played this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, which poses two issues. One is that his movement around the ball racks may be a bit limited compared to his prior contest appearances. Another is that he will likely lack rhythm having not played a competitive game in nearly 10 months.
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While Lillard has played just one game at the Intuit Dome, which came last season, it’s worth noting his 3-point shooting in that contest. He went 1 for 9 from beyond the arc for an 11.1% rate. Among his 50 games last season with at least 7 attempts from downtown, that 1 for 9 performance was his worst all year. Thus, Barner doesn’t see Lillard joining Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only three-time winners of the NBA 3-Point Contest. See more predictions at SportsLine.
Barner has studied the NBA 3-Point Contest from every angle and predicts the winner will “make history” with his performance. See who it is over at SportsLine.
“No silver bullets to creating stars,” the LPGA commissioner said at the CME Group Tour Championship in November.
At the end of a year defined by parity, the LPGA and women’s golf faced a conundrum as it looked to find its breakthrough moment: Is it better to have one or two superstars win and win a lot, or are parity and depth the answer?
One of Kessler’s top priorities as he took over as commissioner was to find a way to create and market his stars. The way, he said, was to identify those who connect with fans, are willing to show up outside the ropes to build their brand and whose play meets the necessary level.
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“You have the best players, you have the most marketable players, and you have the ones who are actually willing to lean in and do the work,” Kessler said. “It’s the handful of players at the center of that Venn diagram that we are going to invest our resources against in order to create global superstars and create that player and fan connection.”
Of course, it’s no secret who the needles are in women’s golf at the moment. It’s the same two players who Kessler specifically mentioned by name as players who have done things outside of golf to raise their star profile: Nelly Korda and Charley Hull.
While the outside-the-ropes stuff is important, Korda and Hull winning more, and doing so on the biggest stages in 2026, would be the most beneficial thing for the LPGA and women’s golf.
Korda went winless in 2025 after her seven-win 2024. Hull won once, capturing the Kroger after World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul four-putted on the 72nd hole. It’s not a surprise that the two biggest moments of the 2025 season were Korda’s Sunday charge at the U.S. Women’s Open and Hull’s final-round flurry at the AIG Women’s Open, both of which came up just short.
A year in which Nelly and Charley win and win a lot would be the foundation for the climb toward a breakthrough that Kessler and all of the stakeholders in women’s golf envision.
That’s what made the controversial start to the LPGA’s season so head-scratching. Korda shot a sterling 64 on Saturday in chilly temperatures in Orlando to grab the lead. Everything was set up for the ideal Sunday, with the LPGA’s marquee star looking to snap a winless drought to open the 2026 season. But the decision to shorten the tournament to 54 holes due to the cold conditions meant Korda won the tournament on the driving range and won’t hit another shot for a month.
Kessler apologized for the way the decision was handled and communicated. He vowed to learn from it. There’s no doubt the controversial shortening overshadowed what could have been the ideal scenario for the LPGA’s opening weekend.
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But Korda did still win. When she tees it up again, talk of a drought will be over, and she’ll be eyeing win No. 2 on the season.
“I did a lot of good last year,” Korda said after her 54-hole win. “Just kind of wasn’t going my way. I guess I was just so focused on being really present, which I told myself to do that last year, too. Maybe the outside noise did make its way in a little bit more than I wanted to. I learned a lot.
“Just very happy to get the first win of the year, and hopefully that leads into a great year.”
And on Saturday, women’s golf’s other needle mover fired a final-round 65 to storm back and win the PIF Saudi Ladies International on the Ladies European Tour.
Hull birdied six of the final eight holes at Riyadh Golf Club to nip Akie Iwai and Cassandra Alexander by one.
“It feels great,” Hull said after securing the win. “Wow, it’s gone a bit too fast today. I was only two-under through nine holes and then I made a charge on the back nine. It was funny because last time I was around here my boyfriend said to me go out and make loads of birdies to begin with. He said to me last night, ‘Make loads of birdies coming in, you love chasing.’ And that’s what I did.”
The LPGA’s confounding decision to shorten the season-opening Tournament of Champions turned a Korda dream start into a question-filled debacle.
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But on February 14, both Korda and Hull, the two biggest stars in women’s golf, have both won. Hull will tee it up again in two weeks at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, while Korda will return to action at the Fortinet Founders Cup in the middle of March. There’s a chance that one or both could have multiple wins by the time the first major rolls around at the end of April.
The answer to the LPGA’s stars vs. depth question was always going to answer itself. Just one month into the 2026 season, Korda and Hull already appear well on their way to delivering the expected answer: stars move needles and transcend sports. Wins are the accelerant.
That’s as close to a silver bullet as you’ll find.
Manchester City were poor in their FA Cup win over Salford but an own goal was added to late on by substitute Marc Guehi.
Manchester City are through to the FA Cup fifth round after a dismal home win over League Two Salford City. An early cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri was inadvertently pushed into the net by Salford’s Alfie Dorrington but the Blues failed to stamp their authority on the game beyond that despite enjoying the vast majority of possession.
Salford twice went close to beating James Trafford and could feel hard done by that they did not get more out of a game where they posed a significant threat. Pep Guardiola brought Rodri, Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly on in the second half in an attempt to turn the game back in City’s favour.
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It worked, with a set-piece won by Semenyo ending with Guehi putting it in the back of the net. Here are the player ratings from the Manchester Evening News.
The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.
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NBA’s All-Star Saturday night used to be anchored by the dunk contest. It was the flagship event of the night, as the league’s top players showcased their athletic feats with jaw-dropping dunks. Players who weren’t competing often filled the sidelines, and fans were always enthralled by the nightcap.
However, over the last 10 years, the dunk contest has lost its cachet, while the 3-Point Shootout has gotten all the hype. The 3-Point Shootout has delivered in ways the dunk contest hasn’t in recent years, with nail-biting finishes as everyone watches in awe as the league’s elite shooters show off their skills. While we don’t get the top dunkers for All-Star Saturday night in Los Angeles, the top shooters are regularly lining up to compete in the 3-point competition, giving us a star-studded event every year.
While the dunk contest doesn’t have high-level names, we’ve still seen some impressive dunks in the last two years thanks to two-time champion Mac McClung, who has decided not to defend his title this weekend.
As we prepare for the night’s festivities, here’s everything you need to know.
The 3-Point Shootout will be the first event of the night. Eight players will compete, and we’ll have a new winner, as reigning champion Tyler Herro is not competing to defend his title.
The second event of the night will be the Shooting Stars challenge, which hasn’t been held since 2015. It will replace the Skills Challenge, with four teams competing by making various shots on the floor, including a half-court shot.
Shooting Stars field
As usual, the last event of the night will be the dunk contest. Four participants will compete to be crowned the league’s best dunker. McClung won’t be back to defend his title, as he’s said that he’d rather focus on earning a full-time roster spot in the NBA rather than just being known as the guy who’s a really good dunker. Though the field of dunkers is filled with relative unknowns, it serves as the perfect stage for someone to make a name for themselves if they can wow the crowd.
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1 episode 5 ends with Aurelius facing Gorlas in a duel. Aurelius wins but chooses mercy instead of killing his opponent. Gorlas kneels, showing respect, and the fragile alliance shifts.
This act of compassion secures temporary loyalty, yet Aurelius suffers a serious wound. His injury raises doubts about whether mercy can truly protect Britain’s future.
Moreover, the episode highlights how old grudges and political distrust continue to challenge the Pendragon brothers. Merlin’s presence reinforces that fate cannot be avoided. Aurelius’ choice changes Britain’s path, but the cost of leadership remains high and uncertain.
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1 episode 5 recap: Did Aurelius’ mercy secure loyalty or invite more doubt?
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1 (Image via Facebook/Pendragon Cycle)
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1 episode 5 ends with Aurelius defeating Gorlas in a duel. Despite the fact that he has the opportunity to murder him, Aurelius choose to show mercy. As a sign of respect, Gorlas bows down to Aurelius, recognizing his power and leadership.
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However, the decision comes with a significant price tag. There is a major wound sustained by Aurelius, which serves as a reminder to everyone that leadership requires sacrifice.
The conclusion throws into doubt whether or whether mercy will bring the kings together, or whether it will leave Aurelius open to the possibility of future betrayal. His injury is also a metaphor of the precarious status of Pendragon authority, which is characterized by the fact that every victory has long-lasting repercussions.
Merlin struggles with fate
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1 episode 5, meanwhile, again highlights the theme of Merlin’s inability to change his fate, even if he wants to. His sadness over the death of Ganeida, and Custennin’s anger, both help to highlight his limitations in terms of his political power.
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In this episode, it is seen how Merlin prays rather than uses his magic to survive when he is captured, showing again how he survives by faith rather than force. In this case, however, it is to reinforce the idea that one cannot escape one’s own fate.
In the later parts of the story, it is seen how Merlin is adamant that Aurelius will become king, but there are still concerns expressed by other characters. His visions and his continued sadness, however, seem to imply that his role is not only to help, but to suffer his own fate, however difficult it might be.
The growing divide between Aurelius and Uther
In the fifth episode of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1, the growing gap between Aurelius and Uther is revealed to them. While Uther is focused on respecting traditional norms and making no compromises, Aurelius is guided by his compassion and faith.
Although the connection between them remains strong, they differ on their perception of Britain. This is revealed in their duel with Gorlas. While Uther’s stand leads to a duel, Aurelius is trying to bring about peace. As revealed in the conclusion, their unity may be threatened if they are forced to yield to pressure from other monarchs. Aurelius’s magnanimity may work to his favor, but Uther’s stand may cause their fragile alliance to break.
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In the future, they will be forced to face a situation where their rivalry and suspicion of each other because of their heritage will overshadow their reign.
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1 episode 5 ends with the character of Aurelius wounded but respected, Merlin weighed down by the weight of fate, and Uther standing firm in defiance of change. The themes of the episode are well connected, bringing together the ideas of belief, loyalty, and sacrifice, and leaving the viewer pondering the possibility of bringing about unity through mercy.
The ending leaves the viewer in suspense about the possible conflicts that will be faced in the future of Britain. The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin season 1 episode 5 is available to stream on DailyWire+.
Manchester United are well-stocked in the goalkeeping department and permanent exits for a number of players could trigger the Reds’ first summer deal
16:52, 14 Feb 2026Updated 16:52, 14 Feb 2026
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Manchester United could be in the market for a new goalkeeper in the summer, despite the successful £18.2million signing of Senne Lammens.
United brought the Belgian shot-stopper to the Premier League in September after allowing Andre Onana to depart. The Cameroon international’s two-year spell at Old Trafford came to an end when he joined Turkish side Trabzonspor.
United are expected to prioritise a central midfielder and left winger when the summer transfer window opens, with the former their top priority. However, a report from The Sun has suggested that movement in the goalkeeping department could trigger the arrival of a new goalkeeper.
The report states that Onana, Bayindir, Radek Vitek (on loan at Bristol City) and Tom Heaton could all leave United at the end of the season. It’s expected that a permanent exit for Onana will be sought, with him having two years left on his deal.
Bayindir was linked with a return to Turkey in January but remained at the club as Lammens’ back-up. Vitek has impressed with his performances at Ashton Gate and it’s claimed he will get a chance to warrant a place in the first team next summer.
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However, at 22, the Czech shot-stopper will be desperate to build on his encouraging season and could be sold for regular minutes. Finally, Tom Heaton, 39, is out of contract in the summer and could end his spell as third-choice.
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Promising goalkeeper Solomon Honor was signed from Blackburn Rovers in January and is the same age as Elyh Harrison, who returned from his loan spell with League Two side Shrewsbury Town.
In the summer, United were linked with the likes of Zion Suzuki, Diogo Costa, Bart Verbruggen and Emiliano Martinez. With Lammens impressing in his first season, an improved deputy is more likely to arrive in the summer.
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Melker Ellborg, Robin Roefs and Mile Svilar are all names linked in recent months. If Vitek is not given a chance to come into the first team, United will likely consider their options in the market.
Best spell of Liverpool play. Superb ball over the top, gorgeous touch by Kerkez to bring it down and then a chop-back that sends two Brighton defenders sliding by!
The left-back uses that room to strike it with his right foot and it’s goalbound but hits his own man Gakpo! Lucky for Brighton.
Ah, the flag has gone up for offside. It was tight but there’s no VAR at this stage of the FA Cup so the goal would’ve been ruled out anyway
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Luke Baker14 February 2026 20:15
Liverpool 0-0 Brighton, 11 mins
Great touch by Salah to bring down a long ball. Later in the move he dribbles into the box but the touch is slightly heavy and the ball is cleared.
The first time Liverpool have shown anything so far really, though.
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Luke Baker14 February 2026 20:12
SAVE! Liverpool 0-0 Brighton, 9 mins
Free-kick for Brighton on the right and Gross whips it into the box. Half-headed cleared by Konate but the ball is laid off to Kadioglu who strikes at goal.
Straight down the throat of Alisson though and a comfortable catch.
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Luke Baker14 February 2026 20:11
Liverpool 0-0 Brighton, 6 mins
More nice play from Brighton as Baleba finds space on the right and fizzes a cross-field pass to the feet of Kadioglu. The Seagulls are in dismal form recently so if they can find a way to win here, that would be huge
(AFP via Getty Images)
Luke Baker14 February 2026 20:09
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Liverpool 0-0 Brighton, 3 mins
As Rich says, Curtis Jones is at right-back and Kadioglu tests him early on with a foray down the left.
Brighton looking comfortable in possession so far in the early going.
Luke Baker14 February 2026 20:04
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‘Liverpool have a third right-back in as many games’
The latest fromRichard Jolly, at Anfield
“Szoboszlai actually has made his return in midfield. Curtis Jones is right-back, Liverpool’s third in as many games. Or fourth, including Joe Gomez’s appearance off the bench at Sunderland…”
Richard Jolly, at Anfield14 February 2026 20:03
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KICK-OFF! Liverpool 0-0 Brighton
And we’re underway at Anfield
Luke Baker14 February 2026 20:02
Here come the teams
Liverpool and Brighton trotting out now at Anfield. We’re just a couple of minutes away from kick-off now, and a place in the FA Cup fifth round will be at stake.
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(Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Luke Baker14 February 2026 19:59
Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool role is changing – and not in the way we expected
Brighton were due at Anfield and Mohamed Salah had told his family to come. It might have been his last game for Liverpool. And then, for different reasons, it might not have been. Salah was exiled from the squad after an outburst, not taken to Italy to face Inter in the Champions League. It was only on the Friday afternoon that it was confirmed he would face Brighton. Which, as a substitute, he did.
It is only 10 weeks ago. As Brighton return to Anfield, it is with Salah as a subplot and a safe assumption that his Liverpool career does not end now, or with an interview outside Elland Road. He did go after Brighton were beaten 2-0, but to the Africa Cup of Nations. Since he returned, Liverpool have played six games and he has started all six, completing five. The man who said he had been thrown under the bus has instead been thrown into the action.
Chris Wilson14 February 2026 19:51
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Arne Slot discusses squad rotation
Liverpool have gone pretty strong tonight with their line-up and Arne Slot has discussed the tough balancing act between squad rotation and winning matches
Akshay Bhatia, armed with his long putter, rolled in 71 feet worth of putts on Friday at Spyglass Hill and 59 feet worth of putts on Thursday at Pebble Beach.
Then he logged on to Instagram to make a “2 inches” comment.
In question was whether Bhatia had violated the rules while grabbing a share of the lead at the midway point of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. An Instagram user on Friday, on top of a picture of Bhatia putting with his long putter, wrote this comment:
“Is Akshay anchoring here?
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“I am not accusing. But there is a point to the question.
“The USGA and R&A screwed up royally when they banned anchoring but didn’t ban putter length.
“Because touching clothing is legal, it’s impossible to detect now.”
“In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either: Directly, by holding the club or a gripping hand against any part of the body (except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm); or Indirectly, through use of an ‘anchor point,’ by holding a forearm against any part of the body to use a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club.
“If the player’s club, gripping hand or forearm merely touches their body or clothing during the stroke, without being held against the body, there is no breach of this Rule.
“For the purposes of this Rule, ‘forearm’ means the part of the arm below the elbow joint and includes the wrist.”
Bhatia said he was putting legally.
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About an hour after @waystogolf posted the picture and comment, Bhatia responded, writing:
“Not anchoring. Literally 2 inches short of my chest haha.”
About a half-day later, Bhatia then started his third round. This year, Bhatia has played three other events, missing the cut in the first two before tying for third last week at the WM Phoenix Open.
“Yeah, I mean, I think everyone’s always a little anxious — maybe not Scottie [Scheffler] — to start the year,” Bhatia said of his turnaround from his first two tournaments. “So yeah, just AmEx are on golf courses I love, didn’t play great. Torrey Pines, golf course I love, didn’t drive it great. And then I just really, I don’t know, I’m the same person, but just found some stuff in my golf swing, which was really nice. Found some stuff in my putting, which was really nice.
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“Joe [caddie Joe Greiner] and I are still really fresh, which is really hard for me to think about sometimes because we have such a good kind of bond, I guess. So we’re still getting to know each other, he’s still getting to know my game, but we’re starting to kind of mesh together where when we walk up to a shot, we’re kind of on the same page all the time.”
;)
;)
![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)
