Thousands race to return to the UK from Pakistan as country goes on ban list
THOUSANDS of travellers from Pakistan raced back to the UK on chartered flights this week in a bid to beat today’s deadline, when the country was added to the travel ban “red list”.
From 4am this morning, all passengers arriving to the UK from Pakistan, Philippines, Kenya and Bangladesh will now have to enter a strict hotel quarantine, requiring arrivals to isolate in a Government-approved hotel for 11 days at a cost of up to £1,750 per person.
The Independent calculated that at least 30 extra flights have been operated from Pakistan to the UK in the last week, with around 5,000 to 7,000 recorded arrivals in addition to the normal numbers.
Among the aircraft arriving in the UK was a trio of planes belonging to Enter Air, a Polish charter airline, which were spotted heading to Birmingham airport from the Pakistani capital Islamabad via Moscow.
An Airbus A330 operated by Hi Fly Malta, a Maltese charter airline, was recorded shuttling between Islamabad and Manchester five times in the last week. A chartered plane from Wamos Air, the Spanish carrier, was scheduled from Islamabad to London Stansted with final seats going for around 300,000 rupees, or over £1,400, one way.
Fares also soared on traditional airlines, with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and PIA – the Pakistani carrier – laying on additional nonstop flights to meet the increase in demand.
Many of those who arrived from Pakistan came via hubs in other countries such as Turkey, because traditional Gulf routes via Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi were not possible as the UAE and Qatar had already been added to the red list.
The thousands of UK citizens in Pakistan, who have no idea when the red list restrictions might be lifted, fuelled the spike in demand as they hoped to enter the UK while they were only required to self-isolate at home for 10 days (or five if they take part in the Test and Release scheme).
More than 5,300 cases were recorded in Pakistan yesterday, and a third spike in cases is being driven by the more transmissible variant first detected in Kent.
All arrivals travelling into the UK must provide evidence of a negative coronavirus test before boarding their flight and they also have to take further PCR tests on days two and eight after their arrival.
The harsh reality of hotel quarantine in Britain led to the surge in arrivals, with strict policies requiring travellers to remain confined to their rooms or apartments for the entire duration of their stay and food has to be delivered directly to their rooms.
Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said anyone who tried to conceal their arrival from a “red list” country would face jail sentences of up to 10 years or fines up to £10,000, which could also apply to those who break quarantine rules.