UK Travellers Rush To Book Dubai Flights For August Despite Red List Status

The UAE has been on UK’s red list ever since January 2021. Despite UAE’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus, the country’s aviation authorities are yet to receive a green signal from the UK. Being on UK’s red list would mean that travellers from the UAE must adhere to lengthy quarantine measures. However, holiday makers in the UK are hopeful that UAE will move to the green list soon. In fact, travellers in the UK have already started booking tickets to Dubai for August.

Bookings From The UK To Dubai Doubled For August

Flight booking data suggest that bookings from the UK to Dubai have more than doubled for the last week of August. Holiday makers in the UK are looking forward to enjoying some sun and sand in Dubai this August. That said, flight bookings to Dubai for summer (June to August) are only 19.8%  compared to the levels back in 2019.

The UAE continues to remain on the UK’s red list and that means travelers going to the UK must quarantine for 10 days in a hotel, at the their own expense. Hotel quarantine in the UK would approximately cost of £1,750.

Also read: Dubai Tops Travel List Of Destinations People Want To Travel To Post Covid

Why Is The UAE On UK’s Red List?

One of the possible reasons why the UAE is put on the UK’s red list, could be because the country is an international hub for transit passengers. Most other countries on the green list aren’t big hubs, excluding Portugal and Brazil. Australia and New Zealand are further South, while Singapore already has a list of quarantine rules in place.

UK Residents In The UAE Cry Foul Unable To Visit Home Country

The UAE is home to over 150,000 British expats, who look forward to spending the summer holidays in their home country. Arabian Travel Market, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said that they are positive about UAE being removed off UK’s red list.

Earlier, Mansoor Abulhoul, the UAE Ambassador to the UK stated that summer is a key reason for Emiratis and the hundreds of thousands of Britons living in the UAE to visit the UK. “I hope that trade and tourism will soon resume, as well as the opportunity for families and friends across our two nations to reunite”, he added.

Also read: UAE Eases Travel Protocols For Vaccinated Residents

When Will The UAE Be Removed From The UK’s Red List?

Recently, Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports Head said that the UK plans to review the countries on its red list on 7 June. However, he said he did not expect the UAE to be removed from the UK’s red list.

Regarding the UK, Griffiths told CNN: “The problem of course is that in the UK the situation is not looking great. They were looking so well in containing the spread of Covid-19, but of course recently that situation seems to be rather more challenging (due to a recent spike in Covid-19 cases due to the Indian variant)”.

Furthermore, the UAE likely to strike a travel corridor with EU and the US, and Griffiths said that this step might give the UK the courage to remove the UAE from their red list. The revised green, amber and red lists will be announced on June 3, to be implemented from June 7.

Are There Flights Between Dubai & London?

Although fights between Dubai and London are on hold, Emirates and Etihad have been servicing flights from London to Dubai. Emirates flights from London to Dubai cost AED,1500 to AED 1,700 approximately, while an Etihad ticket would cost you around AED 2,050.

Also read: Traveling From India To UAE: Guidelines, PCR Tests & Quarantine Rules You Must Be Aware Of

Which Are The Countries On UK’s Red List?