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Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, will now add its second Russian flight destination, this time to Krasnodar. The announcement follows the recent addition of Moscow to the airline’s flight network making Krasnodar the second Russian destination available with Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. The flight to Krasnodar will operate two times a week on Monday and Friday. Tickets are on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app (also available in Arabic)

A new Russian government ruling on COVID cancels all earlier exceptions for diplomatic passport holders, travellers on business visas, and some other categories of visitors from Hong Kong and nine African nations – Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Eswatini, and South Africa. The highest number of those infected with the Omicron variant has been detected in South Africa. The new strain has since been recorded in over 50 countries.

Qatar Airways will add Tashkent, Uzbekistan to its global network with twice weekly flights from next month. The first flight from Doha to Tashkent will take off on January 17, 2022, operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class. The twice-weekly service will depart Doha every Monday and Friday.

Effective Saturday 11 December, the Caribbean island of Nevis no longer requires fully vaccinated international travellers to quarantine on entry, with proof of a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to arrival. Restrictions have also been loosened for non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated nationals and citizens returning to the island. They must now quarantine for nine days as opposed to the previous 14 days.

Morocco has extended the current suspension of all flights and ferries into the country until 31 December. The country initially put the travel ban in place on 29 November until 13 December in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Starting tomorrow (December 7), the UK will further tighten its entry requirements for foreign travellers, including those coming from non-red-listed countries. All international travellers aged 12 and over, regardless of vaccination status, will need to provide proof of a negative pre-departure test – either PCR or lateral flow – taken no more than 48 hours prior to departure. Airlines will be responsible for checking that travellers have their negative pre-departure tests, along with their completed passenger locator forms, and no one will be permitted to board a UK-bound flight without one.

Canada announced on Saturday (December 4) that it would allow Canadians to return home from South Africa if they had a negative molecular test taken within two days of departure, and leave on flights transiting through Frankfurt on or before December 13.

The United States is tightening travel rules to and within the U.S., requiring all in-bound international passengers to test for Covid within 24 hours of departure. It’s also extending its mask requirement on all domestic flights and public transportation through March 18.

Canada is imposing new testing requirements on all air travellers coming from outside of Canada with the exception of the U.S., due to concerns over the Omicron variant. Air Travellers will be tested on arrival and self-isolate until they get their results.

Due to the Omicron Covid-19 variant, new restrictions on travel between South Africa and further Southern African countries, have been put in place. The newly added countries applying either additional testing requirements, quarantine on arrival, travel for restricted exempt travellers or complete bans on travel for the affected countries include; Kuwait, Norway, Fiji, South Korea, Indonesia, Slovenia, Finland, the Bahamas, Mongolia, Macau, Brunei, Lithuania, Peru, the Ukraine, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Chile, St Vincent and The Grenadine, Aruba, and Uzbekistan.

In addition to country bans and restrictions in place in reaction to the emergence of the Omicron variant, as on 29 November, further countries have applied regulations of their own. The countries newly included are Zimbabwe, Gabon, Bangladesh, Panama, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Poland, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Reunion, Russia, Rwanda and Switzerland. Some of the restrictions would have immediate effect on travel from South Africa and other risk-designated countries, with complete bans or stricter entry regulations which may include mandatory quarantine. Travel regulations remain extremely fluid as government and airline regulations continue to be adjusted in response to the Omicron variant.

Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to Almaty in Kazakhstan has landed at Almaty International Airport, marking the launch of the airline’s newest gateway in central Asia. Operated by an Airbus A320, flight QR0391 was welcomed with an opening ceremony attended by Qatar ambassador to Kazakhstan, Abdulaziz Sultan Al-Rumaihi. Also on hand were Qatar Airways senior vice president eastern regions, Marwan Koleilat; chairman of Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan, Talgat Lastayev; president of Almaty International Airport, Alp Er Tunga Ersoy, and a host of airport and government officials from Kazakhstan.

Saudi Arabia will allow direct entry to travelers from all countries who have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine starting from December 4, the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday. Travelers allowed entry would have to quarantine for three days. The ministry did not specify a particular vaccine as a requirement. The Kingdom suspended on Friday flights to and from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini over concerns of the spread of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron. It allowed airports to operate at 100 percent capacity, cancelled the requirement of social distancing in public places, modes of transportation, restaurants, and cinemas, as well as lifting the requirement of wearing masks outdoors. The authorities also lifted the restrictions on the number of people at gatherings such as wedding halls and event venues.

Air Astana will resume flights from Almaty to New Delhi, the capital of India, on December 16th, with three services a week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. Departure from Almaty on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is scheduled for 07:50 and arrival in New Delhi at 11:10, with return flight at 12:20 and arrival in Almaty at 16:40. All times local, with a flight time of three hours and 50 minutes in each direction. Air Astana offers convenient connections for passengers travelling from Kyiv, Bishkek, Istanbul, Tbilisi and Baku.

Various countries, as listed below, have issued new travel restrictions on traffic originating from Southern African countries, including South Africa, due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 (these may include but are not limited to quarantine upon arrival, additional testing, vaccination requirements or a complete travel ban). The affected countries currently are listed as the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Mauritius, Seychelles, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Croatia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Belgium, France, Spain, Malta, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Guatemala, Cyprus, Canada, the US, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Denmark, Egypt, India, Japan, the Maldives, Morocco, Qatar, Thailand, Pakistan, Israel, New Zealand, Angola. The situation is extremely fluid and changing constantly. Travel into a great number of the countries that imposed a travel ban or travel halt, is restricted to travel being allowed for citizens and permanent residents, with limited exemptions being allowed.

Finnair will start flying between Helsinki and Bergen and Tromsø in Norway on December 14th. The routes will be operated by Norwegian regional airline Widerøe, and the flights are sold and marketed by Finnair. “We are pleased to restart our services to Bergen and Tromsø,” said Ole Orvér, chief commercial officer at Finnair.

Following the recent reopening of US borders for Brits, British Airways’ first transatlantic flight from Gatwick took off earlier bound for Tampa, Florida. The airline’s services to Tampa will operate three times a week. British Airways will also resume flights from Gatwick to popular family holiday-hotspot Orlando on Friday. This is the first time the airline has operated to these destinations, and to the US from Gatwick, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March last year. British Airways is planning on operating to 23 US airports this winter, more than any other transatlantic carrier, with 246 flights a week from January.

Avianca has confirmed the resumption of flights on the London to Bogotá route. Daily departures will begin on March 27th next year. The carrier said the decision to relaunch the route follows the lifting of restrictions for travellers arriving from Latin America in to the UK. “We are pleased to resume direct flights between the United Kingdom and Colombia, offering more and better options to our customers traveling between Europe and Latin America.

El Salvador removed all entry requirements relating to COVID-19 on Wednesday, November 17. This means travellers to the Central American country no longer have to provide evidence of vaccination or negative COVID tests to enter. Despite the relaxation of the rules, the government is still recommending but not mandating that individuals get vaccinated, wear masks, and test when returning to and leaving the country.

Emirates Airline has announced intentions to launch daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, with service beginning on December 6. Emirates will give more alternatives for travellers to and from Tel Aviv through Dubai with the launch of services in only a few weeks, according to Adnan Kazim, Emirates Airline’s Chief Commercial Officer. Emirates had already been operating in Israel through its low-cost flyDubai budget airline, which currently operates four weekly flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.