Last checked at 
* Ryanair is set to launch legal action against govt over
travel
* UK says looking at vaccinations and inbound travel
* Airlines want unrestricted travel for vaccinated
passengers
* Minister says ruling nothing out on travel reopening
* Policy reviews due later in June
(Adds govt statement, Ryanair legal challenge)
By Alistair Smout and Sarah Young
LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Britain is considering easing
travel restrictions for double vaccinated people, a move which
would placate airlines who are threatening legal action against
the government's strict curbs on trips abroad.
Pressure is building in the aviation industry, with airlines
desperate for restrictions to be relaxed in time for July and
the peak season when they make most of their profits, but
Britain sticking to quarantine requirements which deter travel.
Europe's biggest airline Ryanair is set to file
papers on Thursday to launch legal action against Britain over
its travel policy.
However, Britain has now indicated that a relaxation could
be on the cards.
The country's Department for Transport said on Thursday that
it was considering how vaccinations could be used for inbound
travel. More than half of UK adults have received both doses of
COVID-19 vaccine, putting it far ahead of Europe.
Reports in the Daily Telegraph said that Britain was looking
to follow the European Union's move to allow fully vaccinated
tourists to avoid COVID-19 tests and quarantine from July.
"We have commenced work to consider the role of vaccinations
in shaping a different set of health and testing measures for
inbound travel," a government spokesperson said on Thursday.
Ryanair, along with British Airways and easyJet
have repeatedly called on the government to allow
vaccinated travellers to avoid quarantine, as well as for an
easing of restrictions to some lower risk countries.
The chief executive of Ryanair has called the UK's travel
policy "a shambles", and such is the airline's frustration that
it now wants to sue the government over its "opaque" system for
classifying travel destinations as green, amber or red.
Under plans being considered by the government, people who
have had two doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be allowed to avoid
quarantine on their return from amber list countries, although
they will still have to be tested, the Daily Telegraph said.
Asked about the report, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Jesse Norman told Sky News on Thursday that nothing was ruled
out in considering how to re-open travel.
"We are trying to move cautiously and progressively in the
right direction so I wouldn't write anything off at this point,"
he said.
Britain allowed international travel to resume last month,
but nearly all major destinations like Spain, France, Italy and
the United States were left off its safe list, and as amber
countries require 10 days of quarantine plus multiple tests.
The safe green list is due to be updated on June 24 and the
government said in April it will review its travel policy before
the end of June.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout and Sarah Young in London and
Akriti Sharma and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie
Adler, Rosalba O'Brien, Guy Faulconbridge and Raissa Kasolowsky)
