Two rival airlines, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, operated simultaneous take-offs for two flights leaving London and heading to the JFK airport in New York.
The two aircraft took off from parallel runways at Heathrow in what made for an unusual image, which was captured and shared on social media.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called the re-opening of trans-Atlantic air traffic a "significant moment" in resuming what has "long been at the heart of UK aviation".
Travellers must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within three days of entering the US.
Among the accepted vaccines are AstraZeneca, BIBP/Sinopharm, Covishield, Janssen, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac.
"If you are due to travel to the USA, remember to complete your advanced passenger information in 'Manage My Booking' & download the VeriFLY app to complete your mandatory attestation information, upload your proof of vaccination and test results," British Airways has advised.
Both airlines have used the hashtag #BritsAreBack to mark the re-opening of trans-Atlantic air transit.