The world’s busiest route at the start of 2021 is no longer even in the top 10, new data shows
The UK Government’s decision to add the UAE to Britain’s travel ‘red list’ has caused the usually popular Dubai-Heathrow route lose its place as the world’s busiest international route.
The Dubai-London Heathrow travel corridor was the busiest during the first week of January with a total of 190,365 seats scheduled, putting it ahead of Cairo to Jeddah (154,337) and Orlando to San Juan (151,916).
But new data from aviation analytics firm OAG for the first week of February shows the route no longer even figures in the global top 10 most popular list.
The Dubai-Heathrow route had benefitted from the UK’s decision to remove the UAE from its quarantine list in December but was last month added to the UK’s ‘red list’ of countries due to growing concerns about new strains of coronavirus.
This means all direct flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi have been suspended until further notice.
The move bans all non-British and Irish nationals from entering the UK and instructs all travellers to quarantine for 10 days on arrival.
On Tuesday last week, the UK’s Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, announced tougher border measures in England to tackle the new variants of coronavirus.
He said UK and Irish residents arriving into England from “red list” countries such as the UAE must book a place in hotel quarantine before travelling.
He said they will be charged fees – equivalent to £1,750 for an individual travelling alone – which includes 10-days accommodation, testing and transport.
The combination of mass testing, vaccinations and tough enforcement make it “fair for people who are doing the right thing”, he told MPs, adding: “The virus doesn’t treat people differently just because they are better off and might be able to fly to Dubai for the weekend.”
Sixteen hotels with 4,600 rooms have been secured around a small number of ports and airports in England for the “red list” quarantine while all other international arrivals must book two PCR tests ahead of travel to take during their quarantine at home.
A new regime of penalties will toughen enforcement. Up to £2,000 fines for failing to take a booked test, up to £10,000 for avoiding hotel quarantine; and up to 10 years in prison for lying on passenger locator forms.
London’s Heathrow airport on Thursday urged the British government to set out a strategy for resuming flights following a tightening of travel curbs that it says has essentially shut down travel.
Requiring two Covid-19 tests for all arrivals, along with 10 days of quarantine that some must spend in a hotel, means the UK border is “effectively closed,” Heathrow said in a statement.
While all airlines and airports have taken a battering in the coronavirus crisis, Heathrow has suffered more than most, with long-haul markets expected to remain shuttered for months. Passenger volumes at what was previously Europe’s busiest hub fell 89 percent in January, with February expected to be even more challenging, according to the airport.
OAG’s latest figures showed that the Orlando-Sau Juan air route has replaced Dubai-Heathrow as the world’s busiest internationally with 135,244 seats, followed by Delhi-Dubai (129,682) and Cairo-Jeddah (128,665).
In the Middle East, the busiest route in the first week of this month was Dubai-Kuwait with just over 73,000 seats, followed by Bahrain-Dubai, OAG added.
About Guide2Uganda
Guide2Uganda (www.guide2uganda.ug) is the most comprehensive source of travel information about Uganda that exists on the web, with more content on its cities & towns, accommodation, attractions, events, museums and galleries than any other online guide that currently exists for Uganda; as well as being a dynamic travel news and events driven site with fresh content added daily.
According to WeFollow & Peer Index (that measure online influence), we are among the most influential online media organizations in Uganda. Guide2Uganda was also awarded ‘’Best Destination Website in Uganda’’ by Jumia Travel Uganda in the 2018 Africa Travel Awards.
Share your travel stories & photos with the world via email: info@guide2uganda.ug
