A new way to travel between New York and London

Australians may still be in an international Covid lockdown - thanks largely to the incompetence of of their politicians - but increasing numbers of Americans are flying across the Atlantic to London. 

American airline JetBlue’s inaugural transatlantic flight landed at Heathrow Airport this week. 

It was the airline's first nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Heathrow Airport (LHR).

It was the first time JetBlue had served a destination outside cities in the Americas.

Fully vaccinated US travellers are now able to travel to the UK quarantine-free but the market i still far from back to normal. 

The US still bars non-essential travel from the UK except for American citizens returning home.

JetBlue, the sixth largest airline in the US, has announced it will be offsetting all CO2 emissions on its London flights.

The UK ambassador to the US, Dame Karen Pierce DCMG, congratulated the airline and wished the crew and customers a safe journey.

“As vaccinated Americans can now come to the UK without the need to quarantine,” she said, “this route will offer more Americans a path to doing business, holidays and family reunions in the UK. Today’s flight quite literally takes our ‘special relationship’ to new heights!”

John Holland-Kaye, chief executive officer of Heathrow Airport, said JetBlue’s service will be “game-changing for the transatlantic market.”