Austria bans direct UK flights

Ban comes into force from 1 June

Vienna will be off limits for British citizens (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Austria is banning direct UK flights again over fears of the Indian variant.

The European nation previously banned direct flights to and from the UK in December, as the Kent variant began spreading widely.

The ban was lifted on 21 March, as the UK began to emerge from lockdown.

The new ban will take effect from 1 June, and will affect services operated by Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet among others.

Only Austrian citizens and residents will be allowed to enter the country, according to guidance from its health ministry. All arrivals must prove they have either been vaccinated; have recovered from Covid in the last six months; or provide proof of a negative test.

Austria is currently on the UK’s “amber list” for travel, which means arrivals from there should self-isolate for 10 days once back in the UK and take two post-arrival PCR tests.

Austria follows Germany’s lead, which will bar British travellers from entering the country after its Public Health Institute designated the UK as a virus variant area of concern.

From midnight on Sunday 23 May, people travelling to Germany from the UK can only enter if they are a German citizen or resident.

Additional reporting by agencies