Revealed: UK-UAE flight bookings pass 2019 levels for first time since pandemic

Posted on : 10/06/2021
Revealed: UK-UAE flight bookings pass 2019 levels for first time since pandemic
Middle East 

In the eight weeks since the announcement on August 4 that the UAE was being removed from the UK red list, flight tickets issued from Britain to the Emirates climbed from 9 percent to 85 percent of 2019 levels, showed figures obtained from flight analytics firm ForwardKeys

The latest easing of UK-UAE travel restrictions follows a long and harrowing 18 months for the air route.

UAE-UK flight bookings have exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2019, according to exclusive data.

In the eight weeks since the announcement on August 4 that the UAE was being removed from the UK red list, flight tickets issued from Britain to the Emirates climbed from 9 percent to 85 percent of 2019 levels, showed figures obtained from flight analytics firm ForwardKeys.

Tickets issued from the UAE to Britain in the same period climbed from 6 percent to 58 percent of comparative 2019 levels.

“I am cautiously optimistic that if there are no further waves of Covid-19, we will see a combination of pent-up demand and the Dubai Expo driving travel from the UK to the UAE to record levels in Q4,” the expert said.

The UK announced that it would accept UAE vaccination certificates from October 4. The Emirates will join 17 other countries whose vaccine certificates will now be recognised.

The latest easing of UK-UAE travel restrictions follows a long and harrowing 18 months for the air route, as Covid19-related travel bans battered traffic on the popular corridor. Prior to the pandemic, 7.7 million passengers travelled between the countries annually.

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