UK removes India, UAE, Qatar from red list

Dhaka: The United Kingdom on August 5 has updated its traffic light system. Following the new update, three major destinations – India, the UAE, and Qatar – will be moved from red to amber effective from August 8.

Meanwhile, Germany, Austria, Norway, and more will make it to the green list.

The biggest change has been witnessed in the relaxation of red list countries. Four countries have made it to the amber list recently, ending a months-long ban.

Starting 04:00 on August 8, passengers from India, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain will no longer need to complete a 10-day, GBP 1,750 hotel quarantine.

The news of the UAE joining the amber list is a big relief to several. British expats in the country will now be able to return without a hotel quarantine, replaced by 10 days of home quarantine and two tests instead.

Emirates and Etihad will be likely to boost flights in the coming days to meet the surge of demand.

Passengers taking connecting flights from across the world will also get to fly with Emirates or Etihad without hotel quarantine.

The amber list decision ends a six-month ban on travel from the UAE that has left many stranded.

Likewise, Qatar Airways will witness a similar boost in passenger numbers as it moves to amber.

It is expected to see more flights in the coming weeks, as more passengers can take one-stop journeys once again.

London is a top destination for Qatar, with the airline usually operating its premium-heavy A350-1000s on this route.

Qatar has been on the UK red list since mid-March, thereby ending a four-month ban on August 8.

India is another country that has moved down to amber while it recovers from a surge of cases in April and May.

The new decision comes a month prior to the major university travel season, which will see thousands flying into the UK, usually with family.

The amber list means that all visa holders can now fly in and airlines will likely ramp up their operations once again.

Before the ban, Air India was flying to London form a nine different cities of India.