Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) reacts after a defensive stop during fourth-quarter action against the Detroit Lions on Dec. 25, 2025 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Cashman celebrated as the crowd roared late in the divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Every offseason, the Minnesota Vikings extend at least one player’s contract earlier than expected. For example, Minnesota handed outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel an extra $23 million in 2025. That will happen again in 2026. The following is a list of candidates.
Vikings extension talks could heat up quickly, because a few core starters already sit at the intersection of timing and roster need.
Free agency will get underway in three weeks, so between now and the end of May, expect these four men to be in line for possible extensions.
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Early Extension Candidates for the Vikings in 2026
Who’s due for more years and money a bit early? These are the candidates in alphabetical order.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) reacts following a snap on Dec 22, 2024, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, during a fourth-quarter sequence against the Seahawks. Cashman turns toward the sideline as the play finishes, emotion visible in a tight late-game moment. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.
1. Blake Cashman (LB)
If Cashman hadn’t missed four games due to injury in 2025, his 11.07 tackles per game pace would’ve translated to 188 in a full season, which would be the eighth-most in a season in NFL history. Somehow, Cashman’s 2025 campaign flew under the radar, even for the most ardent Vikings fans.
Now, he has one year left on his contract. The Eden Prairie just feels like a guy who will spend the rest of his career in Minnesota, and the fantastic production does little to refute that theory.
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Cashman earns $7.5 million per season. Before too long, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski will probably extend his contract by two years and $20 million or so.
2. Jonathan Greenard (OLB)
The Vikings signed Greenard to a four-year contract during the 2024 offseason, which is wonderful — but his guaranteed money ran out last season. Seeking to restructure some players’ contracts to ease the salary cap pain, Minnesota will probably extend Greenard, pay him fair market value, and let him continue his run in Minnesota.
Some have floated Greenard in fancy trade theories to Cincinnati for Joe Burrow, but in reality, Burrow probably isn’t for sale, and the Vikings value Greenard. It’s not wise to get rid of EDGE rushers when a team is plotting a path back to the postseason.
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Greenard was the butt of “almost sack” jokes in 2025 because so many of his pressures failed to bring down the quarterback; he’ll seek a bounce-back campaign in 2026, at least for the sack numbers. All the rest of the stats for Greenard were top-notch.
Look for Minnesota to add $23 million to $25 million to Greenard’s deal, likely spreading the money out over future years.
Star Tribune‘sBen Goessling wrote about Greenard’s contract this week, “Greenard is coming off shoulder surgery, and given how important he’s been to the Vikings’ defense, it seems unlikely the team would release him when he’s still only 28.”
“They’d save $12.25 million if they released him before a $4 million base salary guarantee on March 13. Given the fact he’s got two void years on his deal, it’s possible the Vikings would convert part of his $18.39 million base salary into a signing bonus to lower his cap hit for 2026. Doing so would save them up to $12.96 million.”
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3. Brian O’Neill (RT)
O’Neill will probably encounter a similar fate to Greenard.
Minnesota may restructure his contract and add $20 million per year in guaranteed money. Considering performance and durability, O’Neill is the Vikings’ single-most effective lineman and has arguably held that title for seven seasons.
He’s 31, so he’s not bursting with youth. But the league’s best offensive tackles can play well into their 30s, and fans should expect that for O’Neill.
Minnesota will almost assuredly re-do O’Neill’s deal; adding more money only seems fair, as O’Neill is tentatively slated to test free agency in 2027.
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4. Jay Ward (S)
Ward balled out when afforded the opportunity last year. He was a rookie in 2023, meaning the upcoming season will be the final year of his deal. He’s done enough to merit a modest extension. He hits hard and represents youthful pop that Minnesota needs.
Our Kyle Joudry recently noted on Ward, “Lining up directly across from a shifty, explosive receiver isn’t for the faint of heart. Making a mistake is incredibly easy to see, even for an untrained eye. Ward’s capacity to get over the top of a receiver’s toes before then traveling with the receiver down the field is to be valued even if he’s not a shutdown option out there.”
“Consider, as well, being the deep safety. Being tall and having long arms helps — game of inches, right? — since there’s a greater chance of swatting deep passes away. Again, though, there’s the blatantly-obvious possibility of losing the rep. Any deep safety who gets beat deep is bound to get an earful from a coach (or two) alongside the scorn from onlookers.”
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Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward aligns near the sideline on Sep 14, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the defense prepares for the snap in a primetime contest. Ward tracks the formation and settles into coverage responsibilities against the Eagles’ motion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
Too, down the stretch of 2025, defensive coordinator Brian Flores seemed to prefer Ward in the lineup over fellow safety Theo Jackson.
Joudry added, “Seeing Ward prove capable of doing both — being a corner and a safety — is encouraging, especially within a Brian Flores defense that’s predicated on disguise, chaos, and being unpredictable.”
Ward will turn 26 this summer. Now’s the time to explore his second contract. He won’t break the bank.
Subjects undertook tendon vibration before their workout / Shuttterstock/Gerain0812
Vibrating tendons before cycling allows people to push harder without feeling mental strain, according to a study.
The research was undertaken by Benjamin Pageaux, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences at Université de Montréal, working with researchers from Université Savoie Mont Blanc in France.
Volunteers took part in lab tests on stationary bikes. Each completed two sessions – one after tendon vibration and another without.
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The device was strapped to Achilles and knee tendons and activated for 10 minutes before cycling. After that, participants cycled for three minutes at a pace they perceived as either moderate or intense, adjusting their effort to match their target.
After tendon vibration, participants produced more power and showed higher heart rates compared to sessions without the pre-exercise vibration. However, even though their bodies were working harder, their sense of effort did not increase.
Changing ‘effort signals’
While the precise biological mechanisms are still being studied, Pageaux has suggested possible explanations.
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“Depending on the amplitude and frequency of the vibration, we can either excite or inhibit neurons in the spinal cord,” he said. “Prolonged vibration changes the reactivity of the neuromuscular spindles and alters the signal sent to the brain.”
By changing these ‘effort signals’ travelling from the muscles to the brain, vibration appears to reshape how movement and exertion are perceived.
This brain-body disconnect could help make exercise feel less intimidating for people who struggle to stay active.
The perception of how hard exercise is plays a role in whether people stick with it. When it feels overwhelming, they’re more likely to stop or avoid it, whereas if it feels manageable, it becomes more enjoyable and easier to continue over time.
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This raises the question of whether the feeling of effort could be reduced, helping people push past the sense that exercise is too hard.
Encouraging people to stay active
The research is still in its early stages, with the testing limited to these cycling sessions under controlled conditions.
“It hasn’t been tested in a marathon, only during a short, three-minute cycling exercise,” Pageaux says. “However, this is the first time the effect has been shown to work with this type of exercise.”
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The team will now examine brain activity more closely during exercise, using electroencephalography and MRI to see how tendon vibration influences neural activity during exertion.
The researchers are also studying the reverse process to understand how pain and fatigue amplify the feeling of effort and make physical activity feel more difficult.
Ultimately, the goal is to develop strategies that lower perceived effort and help more people become physically active, especially those who are currently sedentary.
“By gaining a better understanding of how the brain evaluates the link between effort and perceived reward during exercise, we hope to promote more regular physical activity,” Pageaux said.
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Prolonged passive vibration of Achilles and patellar tendons decreases effort perception during subsequent cycling tasks was published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science
Indicators from last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes were there, but the Black Caviar Lightning cemented the status, crowning Tentyris as Australia’s budding sprint phenomenon on Saturday at Flemington.
Trained by the Freedman duo of Anthony and Sam, the colt claimed a second straight Group 1 with a explosive run against top weight-for-age opponents in the 1000-metre sprint.
It was his initial appearance since outclassing his contemporaries in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during Derby Day, as Sam Freedman shared how his seasoned father – ex-member of the famed ‘FBI’, Freedman Brothers Incorporated – rated this horse highly.
“He has been in the game for so long and he said to me at the end of the spring campaign, this might be the best horse you ever train,” Sam said.
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“(I said) I thought you might be suggesting you trained one better back in the 1990s and 2000s – there was a bit of cheek there, they had Mahogany and Schillaci – but he’s building his own record that will hopefully be right up there with some of the best.”
Street Boss-sired Tentyris ($2.60 fav) flew late from last among eight starters to duplicate the Coolmore quinella, placing John McArdle’s filly My Gladiola second once more.
In the Lightning, $7 elect My Gladiola closed the 2-1/4 length Coolmore deficit to three-quarters, Benedetta ($26) third by identical measure.
After steering Tentyris to second in the prior year’s Blue Diamond Stakes, Damian Lane returned Saturday replacing sidelined Mark Zahra and dubbed him an ‘incredible talent’.
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“We just only had the one play with him with how he steps out of the barriers, it was just a risk whether the 1000 was going to be too short (but) it certainly wasn’t,” Lane said.
“Mid-race I had to ask him to pick up the bridle and when he did, he really joined in well and as had become his trademark, that last bit of his race was outstanding.”
Lane celebrated four wins via the Lightning, adding Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes on Sixties and Listed races on Hard Kick and Sass Appeal.
Freedman eyes the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington March 7 where Tentyris sits $2 favourite, his favoured option pending weight, and racing fans should examine racing betting markets for upcoming action.
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“I would love to come to the Newmarket if he was not heavily penalised for the victory. It’s not easy for a three-year-old to carry a big weight like that,” he said.
“We’ll have to have a chat about where he goes, but I can assure you it’s a very good problem to have.”
Most current and former stars are at the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, except former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan. Instead of participating in the league’s annual event, Jordan was seen at the Indy 500 on Sunday. After his sighting, fans revealed some of what they think about the six-time champion.
In the 2025-26 season, the league returned to NBC, and Jordan had some involvement to celebrate. The Bulls star was introduced as a special contributor for the network’s commentary team. However, fans were disappointed that it was just a one-on-one interview with Mike Tirico via the “MJ: Insights To Excellence” series.
Thanks for the submission!
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Fans erupted on X, and here are some of what the fans said about Jordan.
“Hilarious that he cares about NASCAR more than the nba,” a fan said.
@big_business_ Hilarious that he cares about NASCAR more than the nba
“NBC would have paid 5 million for this, he’s giving it out to FOX for free,” one fan said.
More fans noticed how Michael Jordan puts NASCAR ahead of the NBA.
“It’s pretty clear at this point MJ loves NASCAR way more than the NBA or NBC. He won’t even do a live segment for the NBA on NBC but he does it for NASCAR and FOX didn’t even pay Mike for this,” someone commented.
@NASCARONFOX It’s pretty clear at this point MJ loves NASCAR way more than the NBA or NBC. He won’t even do a live segment for the NBA on NBC but he does it for NASCAR and FOX didn’t even pay Mike for this.
“That’s odd, didn’t go to the @NBA #AllStarWeekend doe 🤔” a comment read.
“Top 3 ever, been on NBC all season and he at the Racetrack during NBA All-Star weekend. Their old heads don’t care about it why they expect us to?” one fan commented.
Streamer IShowSpeed missed out on meeting Michael Jordan
Although his playing days have been over since 2003, Michael Jordan still attracts younger fans. One of the fans who was close to meeting him was streamer IShowSpeed. The online sensations recently wrapped up his tour in Africa and revealed that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered to introduce him to Jordan.
Unfortunately for Speed, the meetup didn’t happen, and he revealed why during an interview with Yahoo Sports Mail on Thursday.
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“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. That didn’t happen,” Speed said. “I was on tour, and it was like a risk of, like, I would have to pause my tour for five days. And I would just mess up too many logistics and it just would have been, like it just would have been a hassle just to clean it up. But there’s always another try.”
However, Speed remains optimistic that he will meet Michael Jordan next time.
Australian Open full list of men’s singles champion
4 min read Last Updated : Feb 01 2026 | 5:31 PM IST
The Australian Open 2026 came to a conclusion today at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park as Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in a 4-set thriller in the men’s singles final to lift his 7th major title.
In terms of the most decorated players in the Australian Open men’s singles event, Novak Djokovic leads the table with ten titles to his name, all in the Open era. Roy Emerson, with six titles, leads the list of most successful players during the amateur era.
Australian Open: Full list of men’s singles winners and runners-up
Ishan Kishan plays a shot during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Pakistan, at R Premadasa Stadium, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (PTI Photo)
TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: On a surface where timing was a luxury and survival itself felt like an act of resistance, Ishan Kishan produced one of the most belligerent innings of the ongoing T20 World Cup. Against Pakistan, on a R Premadasa Stadium pitch that gripped, turned and repeatedly forced batters to check their strokes, Kishan played an innings that lifted India to 175 for 7.The left-hander scored a stroke-filled 77 off 40 balls, while the rest of the Indian batters managed only 98 runs off 80 deliveries.From the very start, the signs were unmistakable. When Shaheen Afridi dug one in short, Kishan swivelled and sent it soaring into the stands. It was not reckless bravado. It was intent. With purchase for the spinners, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opened the bowling himself and got rid of Abhishek Sharma, the batter everyone was talking about before the match.What transpired was a four-ball duck for Abhishek, who is yet to open his account in the T20 World Cup. Salman’s decision to open the bowling turned out to be a masterstroke. After three dot balls, Abhishek decided to go for a hoick, but the delivery was not there to pull and he miscued it to mid-on, where Shaheen completed an easy catch.Kishan understood early that Pakistan wanted the surface to do the damage. His answer was to stay ahead of it.Spin arrived quickly, and with it came the real examination. The off-spin of Salman Ali Agha and Saim Ayub found turn straightaway, with the ball holding up and deviating sharply off a length. Kishan responded not by retreating into defence, but by expanding his options. Sweeps, slog-sweeps, reverse hits and inside-out strokes flowed in succession, forcing Pakistan’s fielders into constant recalibration.The fifty came off just 27 balls, pumped straight back over the bowler’s head, and it told a story larger than numbers. This was Kishan batting with clarity, reading lengths early and trusting his hands even when his feet were not always planted. At one point, a possible cramp on right leg did little to slow him down. If anything, it sharpened his resolve.Against Abrar Ahmed’s googlies, Kishan showed rare adaptability. When the length was full, he went straight. When it was short, he rocked back and pierced the gaps. Even mistimed strokes fell safe, a testament to how deep Pakistan were forced to set their field. The message was clear. Defensive lines would not work.The most brutal phase came against Shadab Khan. A floated delivery on middle disappeared into the crowd via a ferocious slog-sweep. Another drifted down leg and was punished behind square. Pakistan’s plan of strangling India in the middle overs was being dismantled ball by ball.What made the innings stand out was not just the strokeplay, but the context. This was not a flat track designed for excess. The pitch demanded patience, yet Kishan refused to be trapped by it. He understood that in a high-pressure India-Pakistan contest, momentum matters as much as runs. Every boundary dented belief, every six silenced Pakistani fans in the stands.His dismissal, fittingly, came through craft rather than force. Saim Ayub slowed it down, drew Kishan across the crease and let the surface do the rest. The ball gripped, turned and clipped the top of middle and leg. Pakistan celebrated with visible relief.But, by then, the damage was done.Kishan walked back to a standing ovation, his 77 off 40 balls having completely altered the trajectory of the innings. On a pitch where run accumulation felt like wading through sand, he had sprinted. In a match where margins are thin and conditions often dictate terms, this was an innings that stood apart. It was fearless without being reckless, aggressive without being careless. More than anything, it was a reminder that in the biggest games, the bravest batters do not wait for conditions to improve. They bend them to their will.
The NBA has revamped the format for the annual All-Star Game again. The league has tried to drum up some more interest from fans and players alike to create a more intriguing event. Last year, that plan fell flat with a mini tournament that featured three All-Star teams and one Rising Stars team.
This year, the league is still holding the mini tournament but will move to a USA vs. World format. The league wants to highlight the growing international talent, so we’ll see Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and more compete against LeBron James, Kevin Durant and other top American talent. The rosters have already been set, so let’s dig into some more details about the new format.
How to watch 2026 NBA All-Star Game
Time: 5 p.m. ET | Date: Sunday, Feb. 15
Location: Intuit Dome — Los Angeles
TV channel: NBC | Live stream: Peacock
NBA All-Star Game format, explained
The 25 All-Stars have been divided into three teams (Team World has nine players). There will be two U.S. teams (USA Stars and USA Stripes) and one World team. Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff will coach USA Stars, while San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson will lead USA Stripes. Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajaković will coach Team World.
There will be a round-robin tournament of four, 12-minute games. USA Stars and Team World will face off in Game 1. The winner of that game will play USA Stripes in Game 2. The losing team of Game 1 will then play USA Stripes in Game 3. Following the three games, the two teams with the best record will face off in Game 4 with the chance to be crowned champions of All-Star Weekend.
If all three teams have a 1-1 record after the first three games, the point differential from the round-robin games will be used to determine the two teams that advance to the championship game.
The All-Star Game has a $1.8 million prize pool. Each player on the championship-winning team gets $125,000. Players on the second-place team get $50,000, while players on the third-place team get $25,000.
Here are the rosters for the three All-Star rosters:
Carlos Alcaraz scripted history on the night as he beat Novak Djokovic in a 4-set thriller during the final of the Australian Open 2026 and became the youngest player ever to win the career slam in the history of the sport. The Spaniard is the 9th player to complete the career slam, the youngest so far. Alcaraz beat Djokovic 2-6. 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 at the Rod Laver Arena to achieve the historic feat in what was a thrilling finale Down Under. What is a career slam?
A career slam is when a tennis players has won all 4 major Grand Slams (Australian Open, US Open, French Open and Wimbledon) in his/her career. Set 1: Djokovic powers through to begin the tie
The highly anticipated Australian Open 2026 final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic began with a blistering start from the Serbian. Djokovic immediately took the lead, holding his serve comfortably in the opening game, and then broke Alcaraz’s serve to move ahead 3-1. The Spaniard struggled with his first serves, which allowed Djokovic to apply constant pressure. After a tough 6-minute rally, Djokovic capitalized on an unforced error from Alcaraz and took the first break of the match, leading 4-1. Despite Alcaraz’s efforts to rally, Djokovic’s impeccable serving and aggressive groundstrokes handed him a dominant 6-2 first-set win.
Set 2: Alcaraz Responds Strongly
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The second set saw a rejuvenated Alcaraz, who bounced back with much-needed intensity. The Spaniard broke Djokovic’s serve early, leading 3-1 with some powerful forehands and precise drop shots. Alcaraz’s first serve started clicking, and his athleticism allowed him to control the rallies. Despite Djokovic’s relentless attempts to fight back, Alcaraz held firm, taking the set 6-2 to level the match at one set apiece. His fast-moving game and pinpoint volleys left Djokovic scrambling, and the young Spaniard was visibly growing in confidence.
Set 3: Alcaraz Gains the Upper Hand
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With the match finely poised at 1-1, Alcaraz took control in the third set. Both players exchanged serves early on, but Alcaraz capitalized on Djokovic’s slight fatigue, breaking his serve to lead 3-1. Djokovic, though battling hard, couldn’t cope with Alcaraz’s precision and pace. The Spaniard wrapped up the third set 6-3, winning his fourth consecutive game to edge ahead in the match.
Set 4: Alcaraz Secures Career Slam Victory
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The final set saw Djokovic pushing Alcaraz to the limit. However, the young Spaniard remained unflappable, showing great maturity under pressure. At 5-5, Alcaraz served for the championship, breaking Djokovic’s serve at 7-5. With that, Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest player in history to win the career slam, defeating Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.
Team GB’s Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby produce a season’s best score of 66.07 in the pairs skating short programme event to qualify for the free dance at the 2026 Winter’s Olympics.
Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
David Mirkovic poured in 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 8 Illinois to a 71-51 Big Ten victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.
Keaton Wagler contributed 18 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 14 as the Illini (21-5, 12-3) snapped a two-game losing streak by turning 15 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points and committing a season-low two turnovers.
Kylan Boswell added nine points and seven rebounds as he returned to the Illinois lineup after missing seven games with a fractured right hand. Andrej Stojakovic sat out his second straight game with a high ankle sprain.
Lamar Wilkerson paced Indiana (17-9, 8-7) with 21 points, while Tucker DeVries posted 13 points and Sam Alexis added 11. However, the Hoosiers scored their fewest points since Dec. 3, 2022, at Rutgers as they hit 6 of 24 from 3-point range and lost the rebound battle by a 38-25 count.
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Both teams’ key players showed up immediately. While Wilkerson and DeVries canned their first 3-point attempts for Indiana, Wagler produced seven points in the first five minutes to forge an 11-11 tie.
Then, Mirkovic asserted himself. He cashed a 3-pointer on a pick-and-pop with Wagler at the 11:17 mark to highlight a 10-0 run that gave the Illini a 24-15 lead with 9:46 remaining. After Indiana’s Jasai Miles and Wilkerson answered with 3-pointers, Mirkovic hit back-to-back 3-pointers and fed Ivisic for a layup to restore a 32-23 lead with 5:28 to go.
Mirkovic posted 15 points in the first half, and Wagler added 11 to offset Wilkerson’s 14 and give Illinois a 38-31 halftime lead.
Ivisic scored the first five points of the second half to produce the game’s first double-digit lead, but Wilkerson responded with five of his own. Then Illinois reeled off 11 points in a row — highlighted by a Wagler 25-footer and a Mirkovic running bank — to claim a 54-36 lead with 12:33 to play.
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Wilkerson was the only Hoosier to score in the first 10 minutes of the second half as the rest of the squad went 0-for-6 from the field with four turnovers. Though Alexis finally broke through with a dunk at the 9:31 mark, Indiana never got closer than 12 the rest of the way.
![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)
