Emirates reports that its UK passenger bookings to Dubai have more than doubled since the announcement of a new UK-UAE travel corridor. The airline notes that travellers are seeking winter escapes, with consumer confidence buoyed following the recent Covid-19 vaccine news. The airline has also seen booking increases of more than 50% week-on-week for Cape Town, Durban and Bangkok, with the Maldives route also seeing greater demand.
In response to this uptick in demand, Emirates will introduce 15 additional weekly flights to the UK, bringing the total number of weekly flights to 52 in December. Emirates will operate A380s four times a day to London Heathrow, as well as on six of the 10 weekly services to Manchester. Emirates will also increase operations to Birmingham and Glasgow by introducing a daily service to both cities.
The air travel corridor between the UK and UAE means that travellers entering the UK from the UAE will no longer be required to quarantine for 14 days upon return, highlighting the UAE’s effective response to the pandemic. UK travellers heading to Dubai can opt to do their required Covid-19 PCR tests 96 hours in advance of their flight, or to do the test on arrival in Dubai.