Price of flights to Ibiza soars by 60 per cent within MINUTES of Grant Shapps' ...

Prices for flights to popular holiday destinations have skyrocketed after the government announced its updated 'green list' tonight.

The cost of heading to Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca and Malta surged by up to 60 per cent after they were added to the quarantine free areas.

Tickets for a return flight to Ibiza on July 3 and July 10 leaped from £92 to £139 while journeys on the same days to Malta surged from just £147 to £164.

The soaring costs came just minutes after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced via Twitter which countries had made the cut for the green list.

He said the Balearic islands - Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca - along with Madeira, Grenada, Barbados, and Bermuda have all been downgraded from amber to green.

It means holidaymakers will be able to return from these countries without being forced into quarantine for 10 days when arriving back in the UK.

And, in a further boost to Britons, Mr Shapps said the Government will allow those who are double-jabbed to holiday in amber list countries later this summer without having to quarantine on their return.

But within half an hour of his announcement prices for flights to the new green list destinations surged by up to 60 per cent.

Jet2's plane going from Stansted to Ibiza and back - at 6am on July 3 and 10.20am on July 10 - jumped by nearly 60 per cent, from £92 to £139.

Ryanair's journey to Malta for the same dates - but at 4.55pm and 7.15am - also increased in cost from just £147 to £164.

Meanwhile a Jet2 plane out of the Essex airport to Majorca on those days leaped from £120 to £140 within moments of the announcement. A trip with the same firm to nearby Menorca rose from £124 to £161.

Mr Shapps finally opened up parts of the world for sun starved British holidaymakers on Thursday night, with the several Mediterranean hotspots making the cut.

The list, which returning travellers are not required to self-isolate, was also extended to a number of Caribbean destinations including Bermuda, Antigua, Barbados and Grenada. The changes will be from 4am on June 30.

Mr Shapps cautioned all the additions, with the exception of Malta, had been added to the green watch list, signalling they are at risk of moving back to amber. Israel and Jerusalem have also been put on the watch list.

While the announcement came as some relief to the beleaguered travel industry, there was disappointment the Government had not gone further, with Greece, France, Italy and mainland Spain still on amber.

The Transport Secretary said the Government would continue to take a 'cautious' approach to reopening foreign travel.

But he said the rollout of the coronavirus vaccination programme meant they could start to look at plans for easing restrictions on travel from amber list countries as well.

He tweeted: 'Thanks to our successful vaccination programme, our intention is that later in the summer UK residents who are fully vaccinated will not have to isolate when travelling from amber list countries. We'll set out further details next month.'

He defended the decision not to go further, saying protecting public health remained the top priority.

He added: 'It's right that we continue with this cautious approach, to protect public health and the vaccine rollout as our top priority, while ensuring that our route out of the international travel restrictions is sustainable.'

Mr Shapps followed the administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland in adding Malta and Spain's Balearic islands to the ranks of green list countries.