Qatar Airways banned from landing in UK

Qatar Airways joins Emirates on the UK's red list.

Qatar Airways is banned from landing in Britain as Qatar joins Dubai on the United Kingdom’s ‘red list’.

Under the new red list ruling, which comes into effect from Friday, all flights and arrivals from Ethiopia, Oman, Somalia and Qatar will be forbidden from landing in the UK indefinitely.

There is an exemption for UK and Irish nationals or residents returning from red list countries but they are subject to ten days quarantine in government designated facilities at their own expense.

Qatar Airways, Etiopian Airlines and Oman Air are all affected, although they will still be permitted to carry cargo both ways and can carry outbound passengers from the UK.

The arrivals ban extends to those transiting through Qatar or Dubai and means that neither Qatar Airways nor Emirates are able to fly passengers into the UK. Both airlines have continued to operate throughout the pandemic, providing a vital global transportation link for both passengers and cargo.

Qatar Airways is currently showing no availability into London from Doha from March 19, although there is availability on flights from London to Doha.

As an added complication for Hong Kong residents, the Hong Kong government continues to uphold its London flight ban, although there were indications this week that the ban might soon be reassessed given falling infections and a strong vaccination roll-out in the UK. Currently passengers can only fly from Hong Kong to London and those returning from the UK to Hong Kong must make a circuitous route home spending 21 nights in a non-high risk country. Cathay Pacific and British Airways are still running a limited Hong Kong to London passenger service.

However, in a good news move for UK holidaymakers, Portugal, and consequently Madeira and the Azores, as well as Mauritius have been removed from the red list.

More details about the UK's red list can be found here.

Sign up now for the AFT Newsletter, a free weekly email featuring all the breaking travel news for Asia Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Middle East.