Doncaster Airport welcomes Govt list of safe travel countries as flights restart

Doncaster Sheffield Airport bosses have welcomed the Government’s list of countries people can now travel to following the easing of coronavirus restrictions as flights restart.
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Bosses at Doncaster Sheffield Airport are looking forward to getting passengers back in the air following the publication of the Depart for Transport (DfT) safe travel destinations and the relaxation of FCO restrictions on non-essential travel.

The Government has announced that 14-day quarantine rules on inbound passenger travel will be relaxed from 10th July, and non-essential travel restrictions from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will cease from today.

Chris Harcombe, Aviation Development Director, Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “We welcome the news as it is critically important to the start of recovery for the aviation industry. Our first post-lockdown flight took off on Wednesday and the latest announcement means that more passengers can look forward to getting away for a long-awaited summer break.”

Flights are resuming at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.Flights are resuming at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Flights are resuming at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

The comprehensive safe travel list issued by the Government includes the majority of destinations served by Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) and its two main operators Wizz Air and TUI. These include popular holiday destinations such as Lanzarote, Tenerife, Palma del Mallorca in Spain, Kos and Rhodes in Greece, Tunisia, Cyprus and Turkey, with TUI flights recommence from 1st August.

Mr Harcombe continued: “This is the news we have been waiting for so our passengers can get their summer holiday’s off to a great start. We have remained operational throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, with our runway remaining fully operational for our freight operations moving perishable goods and PPE.

“The safety and well-being of customers and colleagues is the number one priority at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, that continues to strictly follow all guidance from Public Health England and the relevant authorities. Passengers will see our enhanced safety measures within the terminal building include social distancing, the use of safety screens, hand sanitiser stations and an enhanced cleaning program. Passengers and staff will be asked to wear face coverings at the airport and to follow the up to date public information displays.”

Some destinations, such as Portugal, Romania and Latvia are still affected and long-haul expected to take off at the end of the year.

Where can I go without quarantining when I get back?

The list focuses on countries in Europe, island nations around the world including the Caribbean, and countries further east - including Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

Arrivals are exempt from quarantine if they arrive in England from:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Réunion, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, South Korea, Spain, St Barthélemy, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Pierre and Miquelon, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Vatican City, Vietnam.

The 14 British Overseas Territories are also exempt.

More countries may be added ''over the coming days',' the Department for Transport says.

Which countries are not on the list?

You will still have to isolate for 14 days if you arrive back in England from Canada, the US and much of Central or South America.

Countries in Africa, the Middle East and most of Asia are also excluded.

Travellers from Sweden, Portugal, Russia and anywhere else not on the list will also have to quarantine.

The list will be kept under review, and if conditions worsen in an exempted country, the government says it ''will not hesitate'' to reintroduce quarantine for those travellers.

Equally, further restrictions may be placed on UK travellers if its infection rate rises.

What about restrictions at my destination?

Travellers leaving England could still face restrictions - including quarantine - when they arrive in one of the exempted countries.

About half the countries and territories on the list have restrictions for arriving UK visitors. These include:

Greece will not accept direct UK flights until at least mid-July

Austria requires Britons to self-isolate unless they have a recent medical certificate or test negative for coronavirus on arrival

New Zealand has barred almost all foreign travellers from visiting

Countries including Australia and South Korea impose a 14-day quarantine

Visitors to Iceland can either choose to pay for a test or go into quarantine

You are not allowed to enter Cyprus if you have been in the UK in the last 14 days

But these restrictions may change.

France, for example, has had a voluntary quarantine for UK travellers entering the country. It's understood this will be lifted when the UK lifts its restrictions for French travellers.

What are the rules in other parts of the UK?

Health measures like quarantine are set by each UK nation separately, so the changes may not apply everywhere. At present:

The Scottish government says it has not made a decision on whether to ease quarantine restrictions

The Welsh government has also not decided whether to follow England's measures

Northern Ireland will still quarantine travellers arriving from outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland

Travel information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published in ''due course'' by the administrations there.