Brexit travel to the uk

British Airways’ SA flights on sale again Photo: Pixabay

Why is British Airways selling June tickets while SA is still on UK ‘red list’?

Though South Africans are currently banned from entering the United Kingdom, British Airways appears set to resume flights to South Africa at the end of June.

Brexit travel to the uk

British Airways’ SA flights on sale again Photo: Pixabay

Britain’s national carrier British Airways has opened its online booking system and is already selling seats from 23 June on its flights from London to both Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Does this mean there may be good news on the horizon for South Africa as far as the UK’s flight and entry bans are concerned?  Or is British Airways simply being hopeful that it will be able to restart flights to South Africa ?

UK BAN DUE TO THREAT OF SA VARIANT

A ban on South African travellers was imposed in December 2020 when the new coronavirus variant (dubbed the South African variant) was detected in South Africa last year. Since then, only travellers with permits entitling them to live or work in Britain have been allowed to travel to the United Kingdom from South Africa. 

In March, the UK government implemented mandatory self-paid hotel-managed quarantines for passengers arriving from South Africa.

CONTINUOUS FLIGHT SUSPENSIONS

Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airlines — who previously operated scheduled flights to South Africa — have continually been announcing suspension dates for their South African flight schedules, in accordance with the UK government’s flight and travel ban.   

By advertising flights to South Africa once again, it appears that British Airways is hopeful for a change or is perhaps aware of new developments regarding the UK’s current flight and entry ban which has already been in place for five months.

REOPENING INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

The UK has begun the process of reopening international travel options for its residents with its government issuing a list of destinations to which its people may travel to with eased requirements. 

The new restrictions for travel to destinations on the UK’s traffic light system will come into effect on Monday 17 May.

“Today marks the first step in our cautious return to international travel, with measures designed above all else to protect public health and ensure we don’t throw away the hard-fought gains we’ve all strived to earn this year,” UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stated, as reported in The Independent.

UK ‘TRAFFIC LIGHT’ SYSTEM

The UK has implemented a so-called “traffic light: system which groups countries into three lists – red, amber and green – determined by levels of travel restrictions faced by travellers from different countries.

These lists are updated every three weeks, taking into account the situation in each country, with respect to the emergence of new variants, public health responses, and national COVID-19 caseloads.

GREEN LIST

Only 12 countries are currently on the UK’s green list. Travellers from these countries face no entry restrictions, but are required to complete a passenger locator form and must take two negative COVID-19 test results (one prior to travel and the other after arrival).  

Countries on the UK’s green list include:

  • Australia
  • Brunei
  • Falkland Islands
  • Faroe Islands
  • Gibraltar
  • Iceland
  • Israel and Jerusalem
  • New Zealand
  • Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira)
  • Singapore
  • South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
  • St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

AMBER LIST

More than 170 countries are currently on the UK’s amber list. Travel to and from these countries is discouraged.  All arriving or returning passengers are subject to a mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine on entry to the UK from these countries.

RED LIST

The red list contains 40 countries, which are subject to the strictest travel restrictions.  South Africa is on this list, alongside India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Brazil.

The Maldives, Nepal, and Turkey now also find themselves on this list.  Only UK residents and citizens will be allowed to enter the United Kingdom from these countries.