Iran, others ban UK flights over new coronavirus strain

Shahram Adamnejad, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development, said Sunday night that flights between Iran and the United Kingdom will be suspended for two weeks.

He said the flight halt follows a decision by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in order to prevent the spread of a new variant of the Covid-19 disease.

More and more European countries are suspending flights to the UK due to the emergence of the new coronavirus strain.

Belgium and the Netherlands were the first to suspend all flights with the former also banning train travel to the UK.

They were joined by Austria and Italy which have now also banned flights to and from the UK.

Meanwhile, Germany is also understood to be considering similar action, with a German government official telling the DPA news agency that restrictions on flights from Britain are a "serious option".

Furthermore, the French news channel BFMTV has reported that France too is “seriously” considering suspending “flights and trains” from the UK and to that end the French are “looking for European coordination”.

Canada, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey have also banned all travel from the United Kingdom.

The government of Saudi Arabia has further asked people, who have recently returned from the UK, to self-isolate at home for two weeks.

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