Fresh hopes for summer holidays as Matt Hancock says he ‘wouldn’t rule out’ trips abroad in July

The Health Secretary said today he was more "optimistic" than previously about the prospect of the nation taking a well-deserved foreign trip.

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When he appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this month he said that it was "likely" that summer breaks would have to be scrapped this year.

But today he said: "I am a little bit more optimistic than I was about, about being able to get some foreign travel back up.

"And so that is one of the things where things have gone a bit better than expected."

He was asked directly about whether Brits would be able to book a flight and get away from July onwards.

And he replied: "You know, let's, I absolutely wouldn't rule it out.

"We've got to proceed cautiously. We've seen what happens when this virus gets out of control."

The news comes after Boris Johnson told MPs last night he was looking at so-called "air bridges" with other countries in future.

He was grilled by MPs on whether the nation would be able to take advantage of cheap flights being released, as air travel prepares to start up again.

He was asked by MP Huw Merriman what would need to change between now and the end of next month for that to happen.

He replied: "We will have to agree with them, with the other counties concerned, and we will also have to make progress on fighting the disease.

"We will have to have evidence that the other countries are at least in as a good a position as we are."

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It could give hope that Brits may not have to go into quarantine for 14 days if they visit a certain country with a low infection rate.

Already Portugal and Greece are hopeful that exceptions may be able to be made if the virus is able to be controlled enough.

Brits coming back into the UK at the moment will face a two-week quarantine from the start of June, as part of attempts to control the spread of the virus into the country.

However, it will be reviewed every three weeks as part of efforts to keep "flows as generous as we can", Boris stressed.

At the moment the Foreign Office travel advice is that nothing but essential travel out of the country should happen while the world fights the virus.

But already the airline industry is preparing to reopen the skies and put on more flights.

And Europe's tourist hotspots are planning for how to reopen again to visitors from around the world.

Ryanair is set to launch 1,000 daily flights by July, with routes to popular destinations including Spain, Greece and Portugal.

The low-cost airline will restart routes to Europe from July 1.

Flights can now be booked from July onwards, with flights to Spain and France starting from .

Temperature checks will be conducted at airport entry and wearing face masks or coverings at all times in the terminal and on board aircraft.

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Anyone who doesn't pass the temperature check will be removed from the terminal, and masks will be given to those who don't have them.

British Airways also hopes to resume flights by July, although warned that the mandatory 14-day quarantine may force it to postpone.

EasyJet hopes to restart its flight schedule as soon as June 15.