The flight, which had been scheduled to land at 12.40pm, is the final passenger arrival from the nation till additional discover.
As of 1pm on Friday direct flights from the Gulf nation are banned, slamming shut the world’s busiest worldwide airline route between Dubai and London. Anybody with out British residency who has been within the nation is barred from getting into the UK.
The brand new guidelines, which had been additionally launched for Rwanda and Burundi, have been imposed in a bit to forestall new Covid variants being imported into the UK.
Dubai, the world’s busiest airport for worldwide visitors, is a serious connecting hub for passengers travelling to Europe from South Africa, the place a more-infectious pressure was first found.
The UAE has additionally maintained lax lockdown restrictions through the pandemic, prompting numerous British social media influencers to flee to Dubai to benefit from the emirate’s solar, glitz, and glamour — whereas insisting the journey is a vital work journey.
Regardless of public criticism have appeared unrepentant, posting footage of themselves sunning by the pool even after the journey ban was introduced.
Solely Followers mannequin Honey Evans from Leeds mentioned she would keep out in Dubai regardless of the ban. She tweeted: “Flights from Dubai to the UK are banned. Guess I’ve no selection however to remain out right here. Disgrace.”
This week Home Secretary Priti Patel criticised the influencers for “displaying off” and mentioned that no-one ought to be travelling. The Twitter-tracking of flight BA104 on Friday was paying homage to Ms Patel’s flight dwelling from Kenya as she confronted the axe from Cupboard in 2017.
It’s thought some Britons could select to remain in Dubai due to the requirement to quarantine at dwelling for ten days upon their return to the UK.
This week the Dwelling Workplace introduced that travellers from international locations on the crimson listing — which now runs to 33 international locations, together with Portugal and most of South America — will quickly be topic to necessary lodge quarantine, though it’s not clear when it will come into impact.
The Dwelling Workplace steerage states: “From 1pm on Friday 29 January, passengers who’ve been in or transited by means of the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda within the final 10 days will now not be granted entry to the UK.
“This doesn’t embrace British and Irish nationals, or third-country nationals with residence rights within the UK, who will be capable of enter the UK however are required to self-isolate for 10 days at dwelling, together with their family. Passengers coming back from these international locations can’t be launched from self-isolation by means of Take a look at to Launch.”
Some Instagram stars flew again from Dubai earlier than the ban was introduced, akin to Love Island’s Laura Anderson and former Geordie Shore star Chloe Ferry.
These nonetheless on the market embrace Towie’s James Locke, 33, and girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou.
Dubai – in footage
After opening itself to New 12 months revellers, the UAE is now being blamed by a number of international locations for spreading the coronavirus overseas, as questions swirl concerning the city-state’s capability to deal with file spikes in Covid-19 circumstances.
The dominion has mentioned it’s doing all it might to deal with the pandemic, although it has repeatedly declined to reply questions on its hospital capability.
In a press release, the federal government mentioned: “After a yr of managing the pandemic, we will confidently say the present state of affairs is underneath management and we have now our plans to surge any capability within the well being care system ought to a necessity rise.”
Nevertheless, Nasser al-Shaikh, Dubai’s former finance chief, supplied a distinct evaluation on Twitter, and requested authorities to take management of a spiralling caseload.
“The management bases its choices on suggestions from the crew, the unsuitable suggestions which put human souls at risk and negatively have an effect on our society,” he wrote, including that “our economic system requires accountability”.
Dubai, identified for its long-haul provider Emirates, the world’s tallest constructing and its seashores and bars, grew to become one of many first journey locations to explain itself as open for enterprise final July.
Geordie Shore’s Chloe Ferry was on vacation in Dubai earlier than the UAE was positioned on the UK’s journey quarantine listing
/ Instagram/ Chloe Ferry )The transfer staunched the bleeding in its essential tourism and property sectors after lockdowns and curfews had hit the economic system.
As tourism restarted, day by day reported coronavirus case numbers slowly grew, however principally remained steady by means of the autumn.
However then got here New 12 months’s Eve – a serious draw for travellers from international locations in any other case shut down over the virus who partied with out face masks in bars and on yachts.
For the final 17 days, the United Arab Emirates as an entire has reported file day by day coronavirus case numbers as queues at Dubai testing services develop.
In Israel, greater than 900 travellers coming back from Dubai have been contaminated with the coronavirus, in keeping with the navy, which conducts contact tracing.
The returnees created a series of infections numbering greater than 4,000 folks, the Israeli navy instructed the AP.
Further reporting by AP
