The United Arab Emirates was removed from the United Kingdom’s travel corridor list, following the increase of new COVID-19 cases.
The United Kingdom’s Department of Transport removed the United Arab Emirates from its travel corridor list as the number of new cases in the Gulf country have risen by 52%. The arriving travelers are now required to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to three days before the departure and will have to self-isolate for 10 days.
Beginning January 12, 2021, “people returning to the UK from the UAE (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al-Quwain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah) will need to self-isolate for 10 days, as the country has been removed from the travel corridor list,” read the UK government’s official statement.
“The latest data indicates we need to immediately remove the UAE from the travel corridor list,” British transport minister Grant Shapps wrote in a tweet.
Scotland had already announced that similar measures will be imposed and that anyone returning to Scotland from Dubai on or after January 11, 2021, would have to self-isolate.
In December, Dubai-Heathrow was one of the busiest international routes. Currently Dubai-based air carrier Emirates serves London Heathrow (LHR) with five daily flights, four of which are operated on Airbus A380, according to the airlines website. There are also 10 weekly flights to Manchester and daily flights to Birmingham and Scotland.
On January 11, 2021, Emirates announced its plan to expand operations in the United States amid increased air travel demand.