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UK adds Germany, Austria and Norway to green travel list

The UK government said late Wednesday it will ease English entry rules for arrivals from Germany, Austria and Norway.

UK adds Germany, Austria and Norway to green travel list
(Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP)

The three countries were previously classed as amber by the UK government, which meant only fully vaccinated arrivals could avoid mandatory quarantine.

Now that Germany, Austria and Norway have been promoted to the green list travellers must only take Covid-19 tests before and after entering England, regardless of their vaccination status, and do not have to self-isolate.

They must pre-book Covid tests for day two after arriving and only children aged 4 and under don’t need to take them. Those travellers only need to self-isolate if they test positive after arriving.

The change comes into force on Sunday at 4am and was announced by Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Wednesday night.

Those who arrive in the UK from Germany, Norway or Austria before 4am on Sunday will be subject to the previous rules for amber countries.

The UK government sets the red, amber and green lists for England, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own lists. They usually adopt the same changes and will likely make an announcement on Thursday.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Passengers in Germany urged to prepare for crowded airports over holiday weekend

German airports are expecting around 2.5 million passengers to be jetting off around the Whitsun holiday weekend.

Passengers in Germany urged to prepare for crowded airports over holiday weekend

The next major rush after Easter is coming up at German airports.

According to the airport association ADV, more than 2.5 million passengers are set to travel over the Whitsun long weekend. 

Whit Monday or Pfingstmontag on May 20th is a public holiday across Germany, meaning most people have the day off work while shops will be closed. As the holiday falls on Monday, Germans often take a trip to make the most of the long weekend – or even take some annual leave around this time to extend their time off. 

This year’s outlook on air passengers signals a five percent rise compared to last year. “The traffic development over the long Whitsun weekend shows that the desire for holiday travel is unbroken,” said ADV Managing Director Ralph Beisel.

Due to the rush, German airports are advising passengers to allow significantly more time to plan for their travel day.  

“For a relaxed start to their holiday, passengers should not only allow more time on the way to the airport on the day of departure, but also plan a time buffer for their stay at the airport,” said a spokesperson from Munich Airport.

Passengers are advised to check in online before departure and to use online check-in for their luggage along the drop-off counter at the airport if possible.

Airports have also urged people flying to cut down on the amount of hand luggage they take so that going through security is faster. 

Despite rising numbers, air traffic in Germany is recovering more slowly than in the rest of Europe since the Covid pandemic, according to the ADV.

Following the pandemic, location costs in Germany – in particular aviation security fees and air traffic tax – have doubled.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in May 2024

“This is not without consequences,” said Beisel, of the ADV. “The high demand for flights from private and business travellers is offset by a weak supply from the airlines.”

READ ALSO: ‘Germany lacks a sensible airline policy’: Is budget air travel declining?

Passenger traffic at Frankfurt airport – Germany’s largest airport – in the first quarter of 2024 was also 15 percent below the pre-coronavirus year 2019.

In addition to snow and ice disruption at the start of the year, air travel from Frankfurt was particularly hit by various strikes, including by Lufthansa staff and other airport employees.

However, Fraport said it had increased its revenue in the first quarter of the year by around 16 percent to €890 million.

READ ALSO: Summer airport strikes in Germany averted as Lufthansa cabin crew reach pay deal

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