Travellers wishing to fly between Dubai and the UK this summer will have another route to get there from next month.
Emirates is set to restart flights to Manchester from Thursday, July 1. The airline plans to resume flights to the city via the world's largest passenger jet, the Airbus A380.
The resumption of the route means Emirates will be operating to three destinations in the UK this summer.
Emirates is operating daily flights to London Heathrow. The airline also operates three flights per week to Birmingham, with travellers to both cities accepted on-board under special conditions that comply with current UK travel restrictions.
From July 1, the addition of a daily flight to Manchester will give passengers a more convenient option when travelling to the north of the country.
“Emirates is operating to and from the UK, and is accepting eligible travellers to London Heathrow and Birmingham under special conditions. Understandably, the airline is serving its gateways in the UK with a reduced flying schedule due to ongoing travel restrictions in place," said an Emirates spokesperson.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dubai airline was operating to several destinations in the UK including London Gatwick, London Luton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle.
While the airline is not currently operating to any of these destinations, a representative for the airline told The National that the situation remains "fluid".
Flights to other UK destinations are still available for sale on the airline's website. Emirates says it will continue to monitor and make additional adjustments to flight schedules as UK travel guidelines and entry conditions evolve.
Last week, Emirates said it planned to operate 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic network by the end of July.
UAE remains red-listed in the UK
-
Travellers from 33 'red list' countries, including South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, must be quarantined in hotels rooms for 10 days at their own expense. EPA -
Passengers travelling from 'red list' countries are escorted through the arrivals area of terminal 5 of Heathrow airport and onto a coach, on February 16, 2021. Getty Images -
An aircraft flies over the Sofitel at London Heathrow airport on February 15, 2021. Bloomberg -
A woman accompanied by a boy and girl stand and gesture out of a window from inside the Radisson Blu hotel at Heathrow Airport in west London on February 17, 2021 where they are undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic. AFP -
A person holds a sign from a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, as Britain introduces hotel quarantine programme for arrivals from a "red list" of 30 countries, amidst the coronavirus disease outbreak in London, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters -
A person holds a sign from a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, as Britain introduces hotel quarantine programme for arrivals from a "red list" of 30 countries in London, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters -
A paper bag with a message written on it is seen in a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow Airport, Britain, February 16, 2021. Reuters -
Passengers are escorted by security to a coach destined for the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. EPA / Getty -
Passengers are escorted by security to a coach destined for the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. EPA / Getty -
A mobile Covid-19 testing centre run by Randox is set upon the grounds of the Radisson Blu hotel near Heathrow airport. Getty Images -
The cost of a 10-day stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel is 1,700 pounds or 2,400 pounds for a couple sharing a room. EPA / Getty -
Zari Tadayon looks through a window of the Radisson Blu Hotel near Heathrow airport. Reuters
The UAE is currently listed as red by UK authorities, meaning that travel is only open for British and Irish nationals from the UAE, or for those with residence rights in the country.
All travellers from the UAE are required to quarantine at a government-approved hotel for 11 days, at their own cost, and must have two negative PCR tests before being allowed to leave, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Emirates advises travellers to visit its website for full flight schedules to all destinations, as well as information about alternative booking plans for those with flights that have been affected by travel regulations.
