Several countries around the world have placed a ban on all flights from and to Great Britain over concerns about the new ‘more infectious’ variant of Covid-19.

The travel restrictions follow a new Tier 4 ‘Stay at Home’ alert level announced by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in large parts of south-east England.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

As part of the tougher measures intended to protect the NHS and save lives, people in tier 4 areas will not be permitted to travel abroad.

According to preliminary modelling data, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) believes the new virus variant ‘VUI – 202012/01’ identified in the UK can spread more easily than the original version.

In a statement, Johnson said: “There’s no evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness.”

The World Health Organisation is working closely with the UK over the new mutation, which was seen in the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

So far, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Romania, Belgium, France, Germany, Croatia, Switzerland, Ireland and Bulgaria, as well as the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are among the European countries that have suspended flights.

While Sweden is yet to reveal its decision, the Czech Republic has ‘stricter quarantine measures’ in place for those arriving from the UK.

In addition, some countries in North America, South America and Central American nation El Salvador have imposed UK flight suspensions in response to new Covid-19 virus variant.

The Government of Canada has suspended flights from the UK for 72 hours to curb the spread.

Argentina, Colombia and Chile in South America have also issued statements on UK flight halts.

Moreover, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, Morocco have also joined the growing list to impose similar restrictions.

Some of the countries are also considering closing entry to flights from Denmark and South Africa.

Meanwhile, the Indian Government has followed suit and decided to stop UK flights until 31 December.

Airport Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airport Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
HID has won the Biometric Gate Innovation Award for its BG100 Speedgate a next generation eGate combining HID® Facepod™ with ASSA ABLOY’s Speedgate. Discover how HID is redefining airport passenger processing with faster, contactless and secure biometric journeys from curb to gate.

Discover the Impact