UK relaxes curbs on Middle East

The worst may be over for Gulf airlines — at least for now — after Britain moved the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain to medium-risk status from high. Emirates, the world’s biggest long-haul carrier prior to the coronavirus outbreak, said interest in travel picked up overnight, while Qatar Airways expects a surge in bookings. Arrivals will no longer need to quarantine in a government-approved hotel. The move comes as the UAE also lifted a ban on transit passengers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and African countries and opened its borders to people from those nations who have been fully vaccinated. The UK and India are among the UAE’s key markets and the restrictions had significantly impacted operations at the Middle East’s trade and travel hub. The oil-rich nation is home to Emirates, Etihad, FlyDubai and Air Arabia. The partial reopening of vital transfer hubs in the Middle East and key routes across the North Atlantic is stirring predictions that inter-continental travel is on its way back after a devastating slump.<br/>