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It has been announced that in response to the new variants of COVID-19 in both South Africa and the UK, from 09.00 on 24 December direct flights from South Africa to the UK have been suspended; visitors arriving into England who have been in or transited through South Africa in the previous 10 days will also not be permitted entry. British and Irish Nationals, visa holders and permanent residents will still be able to enter upon completion of a passenger location form but are required to self-isolate for ten days along with their household.

The country's government has announced that from 31 December, South Africa will no longer feature on the list of countries from which visitors may travel to Seychelles. In addition, between 23 December and 31 December all visitors arriving from South Africa will not be permitted to stay in their private residence, but will have to book in to a category 'two' establishment for at least 10 days before being tested for COVID-19, and if negative can complete the remaining four days at home or in a category 'one' establishment.

The Dubai-based airline has announced that it will be operating its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft on the Dubai-Sao Paulo route between 9-30 January. The Emirates A380 will be deployed four times weekly to Sao Paulo in response to the summer season increase in demand for travel to and from Brazil. This will be the first time that the aircraft returns to South America since the suspension of passenger flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

The country's government has announced the suspension of air links with the UK, South Africa and Australia, from 28 December until further notice. Anyone who has resided or transited through these countries will not be allowed access to Tunisian territory.

The country's government has announced that entry to Panama is closed to all those who have been in the United Kingdom or South Africa 20 days prior to their arrival unless they are Panamanian nationals or residents. The restrictions have been introduced in response to the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within the two countries.

The country's government has announced that from 22 December, all Qatari residents arriving on flights originating in the UK will be required to stay at one of two dedicated hotels for their quarantine period: Intercontinental Doha Hotel or Mercure Grand Doha. These must be booked through 'Discover Qatar'. The restrictions have been introduced in response to the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within parts of the UK.

The airline has confirmed that it will continue flights from South Africa to Amsterdam, following a previous announcement of a reduction in operations on the route from 13 December onwards. The Dutch Government also issued new regulations requiring all travellers from South Africa to present a valid, negative COVID-19 PCR test result obtained a maximum of 72 hours prior to arrival into the country.

The country's government announced on 21 December that it had suspended all direct air passenger flights between the UK and Jordan from 21 December 2020 to 3 January 2021. Indirect routes remain unaffected for outbound flights. The restrictions have been introduced in response to the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within parts of the UK.

The country's government has announced that, following the continuous and rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus in the United Kingdom and South Africa, the following precautionary measures have been adopted by the Mauritian authorities; non-resident travellers who come from or have been in transit in the United Kingdom and South Africa during the last 14 days (as at 21 December 2020) will not be allowed to enter the country until 31 December 2020.

The airline has announced that as of midnight on 21 December 2020 until further notice, all passenger flights to and from the United Kingdom as well as South Africa are to be suspended; SWISS most recently served London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester airports in the UK and Johannesburg in South Africa. Customers affected by the suspended flights will be informed by the airline, and flexible re-booking options continue to apply.

The country's government announced on 21 December 2020 the closure of its land, sea and air borders with effect from 22 December at 01.00 (local time). This will remain in place for seven days and will be subject to review by the Omani authorities. During this time, it will not be possible to enter or leave Oman. The restrictions have been introduced in response to the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within a number of countries.

The country's government has announced on 20 December in response to the spread of a new strain of COVID-19, the suspension of all international flights for travellers entering and leaving the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (except in exceptional cases). Entry to the Kingdom through land and sea borders has been suspended. The announcement states that these measures are due to last for one week, and may be extended for another week.

The country's government has announced that from midnight (local time) on 21 December, the government of Mauritius has, in response to the COVID-19 situation, advised that all travellers who come from or have been in transit in the UK or South Africa during the last 15 days will not be allowed to enter the Mauritian territory until at least 31 January 2021.

The country’s government announced on 20 December that additional measures for all travellers arriving from the UK will apply, including a requirement to complete a 14-day quarantine in a designated, state-sponsored COVID-19 hotel. The updated restriction has been introduced in response to the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within parts of the UK.

The country’s government announced on 20 December that travellers will not be allowed to enter Kuwait if they have been in the UK during the preceding 14 days. This ban is expected to come into force by 22 December. Further updates are due be published by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) when available. The measures will be introduced in response to the discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 within parts of the UK.

The airline has announced that from 28 March it will commence a non-stop daily service from South Africa's Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport to New York Newark Airport; the resumption of the route will also facilitate onward connections to multiple destinations across the Americas.

The airline has now resumed services to London Gatwick Airport, operating three flights per week from its Doha hub. The resumption means the carrier is now offering 55 flights a week in total from London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh airports during December. The airline also resumes flights from Doha to the Seychelles from today, 15 December.

The Dubai-based airline has announced that it will resume daily flights to Istanbul, Turkey from 21 December via the EK121 and EK122 flight numbers. The addition of Istanbul expands Emirates’ European network to 31 destinations.

The airline has announced that it is the latest carrier to provide free COVID-19 insurance cover for passengers who test positive for the virus while travelling. The policies are provided by Allianz Travel and cover medical costs relating to a positive diagnosis, as well as isolation and additional travel costs. The cover applies to all passengers on Japan Airlines (JAL) marketed and operated flights for travel between 23 December 2020 and 30 June 2021, and is valid for 31 days from the first leg of the journey.

The country's government announced Oman's official reopening for tourism from 10 December, allowing passengers from 103 countries to enter without a visa for a period of 10 days. All passengers must take a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival at Muscat International Airport, at a cost of OMR25 (USD65) which can be paid through the Tarassud+ App before arrival in Oman. All passengers must self-isolate at their hotel while they await test results, which usually take 12-24 hours. Passengers staying in-country for less than 10 days are then free to leave, while passengers staying for more than 10 days are subject to additional requirements; this includes further self-isolation regardless of result, follow-up COVID-19 testing and the requirement to wear a tracking bracelet.