British Airways planes on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport. AP
British Airways planes on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport. AP
British Airways planes on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport. AP
British Airways planes on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport. AP

Heathrow loses European airport top spot to Frankfurt owing to Covid-19 crisis


  • English
  • Arabic

Frankfurt has overtaken London’s Heathrow as the busiest airport in Europe, prompting the chief of British Airways to demand the Government rapidly sets up a testing programme to win back customers.

Heathrow said that its passenger numbers were down by more than 80 per cent in August to 1.4 million, allowing its key German continental rival to overtake, according to the British airport. It said it was an “early warning that Britain’s economy will fall behind if we don’t protect our global trading network”.

Long haul markets remained sharply down because of the UK government's 14-day quarantine policy from travel for destinations including Portugal and the United States. The move has hit British Airways hard. It flies to more than 100 countries, many of them affected by travel restrictions.

Passengers undergo a Covid-19 test upon arrival at Frankfurt International Airport. AP
Passengers undergo a Covid-19 test upon arrival at Frankfurt International Airport. AP

The airline’s chief executive Alex Cruz told MPs on Wednesday that it was at 20 per cent of capacity during July and said the crisis outstripped the worst days of the 2007/08 financial crash and the plunge in passenger numbers after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

“Covid-19 has devastated our business and our sector and we are still fighting for our own survival,” he said.

He has urged the government to set up a scheme between London and New York to test passengers as they travel and five days later to ensure they remain virus-free.

“It’s incredibly important that we reach a testing regime of some sort as quickly as possible so we can reduce that quarantine time to the minimum possible,” he said.

The airline has come under fire for cutting 12,000 jobs and changing the terms and conditions of its staff. Mr Cruz said the airline was taking every “measure possible to make sure that we can actually make it through this winter”.

“We do not see a short-term coming back of our passengers,” he told MPs on the transport committee.

Heathrow has complained that more than 30 airports, including Frankfurt, are already using testing as a safe alternative to a 14-day quarantine.

Its chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said that Britain’s economic recovery was falling behind because of the impact on international travel.

“The Government has announced it is looking at the options for reducing quarantine for passengers who test negative for Covid-19 but ministers urgently need to turn words into action. Every day of further Government delay costs British jobs and livelihoods.”

_______________

  • A labourer disinfects and clears out notes left by worshippers in the cracks between the stones of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, ahead of the Jewish New Year, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, in Jerusalem. REUTERS
    A labourer disinfects and clears out notes left by worshippers in the cracks between the stones of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, ahead of the Jewish New Year, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, in Jerusalem. REUTERS
  • A medical worker stands next to an oxygen cylinder at the Yatharth Hospital in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. REUTERS
    A medical worker stands next to an oxygen cylinder at the Yatharth Hospital in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. REUTERS
  • People queue at a test centre following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Southend-on-sea, Britain. REUTERS
    People queue at a test centre following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Southend-on-sea, Britain. REUTERS
  • Local government officials wear costumes of pocong, one of the famous ghost figures in Indonesia, in order to campaign for the dangers of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a traditional market in Tangerang Banten province. AFP
    Local government officials wear costumes of pocong, one of the famous ghost figures in Indonesia, in order to campaign for the dangers of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a traditional market in Tangerang Banten province. AFP
  • A man is detained by members of Victoria Police at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia. Anti-lockdown protesters organised a "freedom walk" to demonstrate against Melbourne's current Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions. While organisers claim the gathering is legal, Victoria Police said they would be monitoring protest activity, with anyone considered to be breaching the Chief Health Officer's directives liable for a fine of $1652. Metropolitan Melbourne remains under stage 4 lockdown restrictions, with people only allowed to leave home to give or receive care, shopping for food and essential items, daily exercise and work while an overnight curfew from 8pm to 5am is also in place. The majority of retail businesses are also closed. Other Victorian regions are in stage 3 lockdown. The restrictions, which came into effect from 2 August, were introduced by the Victorian government as health authorities work to reduce community COVID-19 transmissions across the state. Getty Images
    A man is detained by members of Victoria Police at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia. Anti-lockdown protesters organised a "freedom walk" to demonstrate against Melbourne's current Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions. While organisers claim the gathering is legal, Victoria Police said they would be monitoring protest activity, with anyone considered to be breaching the Chief Health Officer's directives liable for a fine of $1652. Metropolitan Melbourne remains under stage 4 lockdown restrictions, with people only allowed to leave home to give or receive care, shopping for food and essential items, daily exercise and work while an overnight curfew from 8pm to 5am is also in place. The majority of retail businesses are also closed. Other Victorian regions are in stage 3 lockdown. The restrictions, which came into effect from 2 August, were introduced by the Victorian government as health authorities work to reduce community COVID-19 transmissions across the state. Getty Images
  • A nurse is reflected on a window at a COVID-19 ward where a patient lies in a hospital's intensive care unit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. AP Photo
    A nurse is reflected on a window at a COVID-19 ward where a patient lies in a hospital's intensive care unit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. AP Photo
  • Medical workers tend a patient affected with the COVID-19 in the Nouvel Hospital Civil of Strasbourg, eastern France. France is grappling with the double headache of trying revive its COVID-battered economy while also curbing the steady climb in infections spread during summer months when vacationers let their guard down and picked up by increased testing. AP Photo
    Medical workers tend a patient affected with the COVID-19 in the Nouvel Hospital Civil of Strasbourg, eastern France. France is grappling with the double headache of trying revive its COVID-battered economy while also curbing the steady climb in infections spread during summer months when vacationers let their guard down and picked up by increased testing. AP Photo
  • Member of the United Hatzalah emergency medical services organization wearing a protective suit collects a Coronavirus swab sample in Jerusalem. The Israeli cabinet approved a full three weeks lockdown during the Jewish holidays period beginning on 18 September aimed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease outbreak. EPA
    Member of the United Hatzalah emergency medical services organization wearing a protective suit collects a Coronavirus swab sample in Jerusalem. The Israeli cabinet approved a full three weeks lockdown during the Jewish holidays period beginning on 18 September aimed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease outbreak. EPA
  • Signage is seen at an entrance of a drive-in coronavirus testing centre amid an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Twickenham in London, Britain. REUTERS
    Signage is seen at an entrance of a drive-in coronavirus testing centre amid an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Twickenham in London, Britain. REUTERS
  • An elementary teacher records her voice, reading a storybook as the education department copes with distance learning amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Navotas, Metro Manila, Philippines. REUTERS
    An elementary teacher records her voice, reading a storybook as the education department copes with distance learning amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Navotas, Metro Manila, Philippines. REUTERS
  • An NHS staff receives a self-administered Covid-19 test at a testing site in London, Britain. The UK government's Covid-19 testing program is coming under increasing pressure, with many people not able to get tests or are having to travel many miles to other towns and cities to receive one. EPA
    An NHS staff receives a self-administered Covid-19 test at a testing site in London, Britain. The UK government's Covid-19 testing program is coming under increasing pressure, with many people not able to get tests or are having to travel many miles to other towns and cities to receive one. EPA

Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic

John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers

Kill%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S23%20ULTRA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.8%22%20edge%20quad-HD%2B%20dynamic%20Amoled%202X%2C%20Infinity-O%2C%203088%20x%201440%2C%20500ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20120Hz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204nm%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%20Gen%202%2C%2064-bit%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F12GB%20RAM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%2F1TB%20(only%20128GB%20has%20an%208GB%20RAM%20option)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20quad%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20f%2F2.2%20%2B%20200MP%20wide%20f%2F1.7%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%20f%2F4.9%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%202.4%3B%203x%2F10x%20optical%20zoom%2C%20Space%20Zoom%20up%20to%20100x%3B%20auto%20HDR%2C%20expert%20RAW%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208K%4024%2F30fps%2C%204K%4060fps%2C%20full-HD%4060fps%2C%20HD%4030fps%2C%20full-HD%20super%20slo-mo%40960fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%2C%20fast%20wireless%20charging%202.0%2C%20Wireless%20PowerShare%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205G%2C%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.2%2C%20NFC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3B%20built-in%20Galaxy%20S%20Pen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESIM%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20single%20nano%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20cream%2C%20green%2C%20lavender%2C%20phantom%20black%3B%20online%20exclusives%3A%20graphite%2C%20lime%2C%20red%2C%20sky%20blue%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh4%2C949%20for%20256GB%2C%20Dh5%2C449%20for%20512GB%2C%20Dh6%2C449%20for%201TB%3B%20128GB%20unavailable%20in%20the%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Medicus AI

Started: 2016

Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh

Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai

Sector: Health Tech

Staff: 119

Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)

 

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer