Brits desperate for a holiday have been flocking to airports after changes to travel rules saw the amber destination list scrapped.

Holidaymakers have been quick to book their getaways after travel changes also saw expensive PCR tests ditched by the government.

Bookings rocketed to three times the normal rate after the announcement - with soaring demand for October half-term holidays.

The government has also reduced the red list, making destinations including Turkey, Egypt, Kenya and the Maldives now safe for Brits to travel to.

The amber list will be scrapped from October 4 to simplify the advice over "go" and "no go" destinations - leaving just a single red list of countries.

Passengers line up at the British Airways check-in area in Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport (
Image:
Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The red list will then be slimmed down, reducing the number of destinations from where arrivals to the UK need to spend 10 days in a Government-approved quarantine hotel.

Eight countries will be removed from the red list from 4am on Wednesday 22 September, including Turkey and the Maldives.

Double-vaccinated passengers arriving from non red-list countries will no longer have to take day 2 PCR tests from a date later in October - but they will have to take a cheaper lateral flow test instead.

From October 4, fully-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take a pre-departure test at all.

Heathrow airport has seen a rise in passenger numbers as travel rules change (
Image:
SplashNews.com)

Non-vaccinated arrivals will still have to take a test three days before coming to England, book day 2 and day 8 PCR tests, and fill out a passenger locator form.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps unveiled the plans, which were signed off by Cabinet ministers on Friday morning.

He tweeted: "From Mon 4 Oct, if you’re fully vax you won’t need a pre-departure test before arrival into England from a non-red country and from later in Oct, will be able to replace the day 2 PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow.

Tourists enjoy a sunny day at Cala Tadira beach near Sant Josep de Sa Talaia on the Balearic island of Ibiza (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)

"In addition, EIGHT countries and territories will come off the red list from Weds 22 Sept at 4am, incl. TURKEY, PAKISTAN and MALDIVES.

"We’ll also be introducing a new simplified system for international travel from Mon 4 Oct, replacing the current approach with a single red list and simplified measures for the rest of the world - striking the right balance to manage the public health risk as No.1 priority."