Covid-19: UK indefinitely bans all passenger flights from UAE starting January 29

The UK has decided to ban direct passenger flights from the UAE to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

The decision was confirmed via a statement on the Department of Transport’s website on Thursday evening which added that in addition to the UAE, the UK has also banned travel from Burundi and Rwanda “to prevent the spread of the new variant originally identified in South Africa into the UK.”

Beginning on Friday January 29, at 1pm, all non-British or Irish passengers, excluding third-country nationals who have residence rights in the UK, who have been in or transited through the UAE, Burundi and Rwanda in the last 10 days will no longer be granted entry to the UK.

Irish and British nationals and third-country nationals with residence rights in the UK meanwhile will be able to enter the UK, but are required to self-isolate for 10 days at home, along with their household members.

Passengers returning from the three countries cannot be released from self-isolation through the Test to Release scheme.

“The decision to ban travel from these destinations follows the discovery of a new coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa, that may have spread to other countries, including the UAE, Burundi and Rwanda,” the statement added on the government’s website.

There would be no exemptions to this new directive, including for business travel.

The UK government added that British nationals currently in the UAE should make use of the commercial options available if they wish to return to the UK.

While direct flights from the UAE are banned, it added that indirect commercial routes will enable them to return to the UK.