'Air bridge' between London and New York is a step closer as UK ministers hold high-level talks with US officials - but most of America will remain 'red listed' due to high Covid cases

• The reopening of the route would rescue airlines that rely on trans-Atlantic travel
• If it gets the go-ahead, New York could be the UK's first 'regional travel corridor'
• This would open the floodgates to winter holidays in America and help UK firms

An air bridge could be set up between London and New York to allow Britons to avoid quarantine - but the rest of the US will remain 'red listed' due to the high number of Covid-19 cases.

Anyone arriving in Britain from the US has to quarantine for two weeks, under rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 

The reopening of the route would help rescue airlines that rely on trans-Atlantic travel.

Proposals are at very early stages. But if they get the go-ahead, New York could become the UK's first 'regional travel corridor' destination.

This would open the floodgates to winter holidays in America and help thousands of British businesses that rely on US visitors.

A source told The Telegraph: 'There are discussions going on at a very senior level around opening up London and New York. They are at a very early stage but it is vital to get business going with a major trading partner especially as we near Brexit.' 

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Today the boss of the trade body Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, warns 'there is no future for international aviation without a comprehensive testing programme' (pictured, London)

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In New York (pictured), the cumulative number of cases over seven days, a key statistic closely-watched by Downing Street, is at 7.2 per 100,000 residents, lower than the UK on 11.3 and much lower than the Government's quarantine threshold of 20

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This would open the floodgates to winter holidays in America and help thousands of British businesses that rely on US visitors (file photo)

1 in 4 jobs are culled at Gatwick

Gatwick cut 600 jobs yesterday – one in four of its workforce – as part of a major reshaping of the airport's business.

It is only operating about a fifth of last year's flights and over 75 per cent of its staff are on the Government's furlough scheme.

Elsewhere, Rolls-Royce announced it would close its site in Annesley, Nottinghamshire, weeks after announcing 9,000 aerospace job cuts. Restaurant chain Wahaca is to close ten restaurants and BMW announced the loss of 400 jobs at its Mini car factory in Oxford.

Official figures suggest that 730,000 people lost their jobs between March and July.

Experts warn this is the tip of the iceberg as many jobs are being propped up by the furlough scheme, which ends in October.

Economists have warned the number of people out of work could rise to nearly four million by the end of the year.Today the boss of the trade body Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, warns 'there is no future for international aviation without a comprehensive testing programme'.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has repeatedly played down the idea of airport testing, claiming swab tests would fail to spot almost 90 per cent of asymptomatic cases.

But in a growing revolt, more than 80 MPs, including 40 Tories, have warned that failure to endorse airport testing will have a disastrous impact on the travel industry and wider economy.

Senior aviation bosses, including Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye, say quarantine measures have hung the 'Closed' sign on Britain and are costing the economy £60million a day in lost foreign visitor spending.

As well as airport testing, industry leaders are also eager for ministers to establish 'regional travel corridors' to low-risk destinations.

In New York, the cumulative number of cases over seven days, a key statistic closely-watched by Downing Street, is at 7.2 per 100,000 residents, lower than the UK on 11.3 and much lower than the Government's quarantine threshold of 20.

Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: 'My clear understanding is that there are initial talks taking place between the Department for Transport and the US Department of Transportation to create corridors between Heathrow and New York, which is the world's most popular air route.

'However, I understand that US authorities want to see firm testing taking place at Heathrow.

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The reopening of the route would help rescue airlines that rely on trans-Atlantic travel (pictured, Heathrow Terminal 5)

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Proposals are at very early stages. But if they get the go-ahead, New York (pictured, JFK Airport) could become the UK's first 'regional travel corridor' destination

'It would send a strong signal if this vital route was to open again, and would build confidence for long-haul travel. It is one of the best things this Government could do for the airline industry.' 

Virgin Atlantic resumed flights from Britain to New York in July, as well as Los Angeles - running three round trips a week.

An airport industry source told The Telegraph: 'New York is the financial centre of the most powerful economic force in the world so we need to be able to fly there.' 

Earlier this month Heathrow's boss called for quarantine measures to be scrapped and for passengers to be tested on arrival. 

Just 867,000 people travelling through the west London airport last month, compared with 7.7million in July 2019.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: 'Tens of thousands of jobs are being lost because Britain remains cut off from critical markets such as the US, Canada and Singapore.

'The Government can save jobs by introducing testing to cut quarantine from higher-risk countries, while keeping the public safe from a second wave of Covid.'

It comes amid growing certainty that Switzerland will become the latest country to face quarantine restrictions tonight.

The country's cumulative number of cases over seven days hit 21.2 per 100,000 people yesterday. Jamaica and the Czech Republic are also at risk.

In full: The countries which are not on the UK's quarantine list

The Government has imposed quarantine restrictions on numerous countries in recent weeks. 

Below is the latest list of nations which are still viewed by the UK as safe to travel:   

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, the ChannelIslands, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macao, Malaysia, Mauritius, Montserrat, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, St Barthélemy, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Pierre and Miquelon, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Vatican City State, Vietnam.