[ad_1]
DUBAI: UAE-UK air traffic will recover strongly in winter 2022 after a year of pandemic-induced restrictions and passenger caps at London’s Heathrow Airport, according to the industry’s travel experts. London Heathrow (LHR) is the second most booked route by flight traffic, with bookings up 90% compared to 2021, according to dnata Travel, the UAE’s leading travel provider.
While few travelers are concerned that a pre-Christmas strike by baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport will affect their holiday plans, travel experts have confirmed Emirates is not on the list of airlines that will be affected by the strike.
Airlines that could be affected by the three-day strike include Air Canada, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, TAP Portugal, Austrian Airlines, Qantas, EgyptAir, Aer Lingus and Finnair, the people said.
Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE, dnata Travel told gulf news“During the 2022-23 winter season, travel to the UK and Europe is common. We are seeing a 90% increase in bookings on this route compared to 2021.”
Meerah explained that the UK is also among our top three destinations for winter 2022-23 hotel bookings with the highest demand, with London accounting for the majority (70%) and other bookings spread across Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
“The tourism popularity of these major UK cities represents a growing trend of customers choosing to stay in hotels close to some of the world’s most famous festival-themed markets and other events this winter,” she explained.
There has also been a strong recovery in inbound traffic from the UK to the UAE as many Brits are drawn to the UAE due to its pleasant winter weather conditions. Afi Ahmed, managing director of Smart Travels, said: “This is the time for leisure travel. Regarding traffic to the UK, most UK expats living in the UAE are returning home for Christmas. Brits in the UAE enjoying winter. Plus, the ongoing FIFA World Cup is another reason why British tourists are flocking to the UAE.”
According to travel aggregator SkyScanner, direct flights from Dubai to London cost an average of Dh2,681 in economy class, while flights from Abu Dhabi cost Dh4,495 (Etihad Airways), Dec. 9 Departure, return on January 2nd.
Regarding visa applications, VFS Global also confirms gulf news It witnessed steady demand for UK visas for year-end travel. However, travelers are still advised to apply for visas in advance to avoid any last-minute hassles.
According to a statement from UK Visas and Immigration, “Visit visas, including standard visitor visa applications, take an average of five weeks to process; however, some applications may take longer. We are working hard to process applications, to return to the three-week service standard.”
A total of 2,610,024 visas were issued in the year ending September 2022, an 18% decrease (-561,705) compared to calendar year 2019, mainly due to 1.2 million fewer visitor visas issued. However, the total number of franchises continues to increase in the wake of the global pandemic.
“Of the visas granted in the last 12 months, 48% were visitor visas, 23% were study route, 15% were work route, 3% were for family reasons and 11% were for other reasons,” the agency said.
[ad_2]
Source link