London Heathrow has opened a dedicated terminal just for passengers on direct flights from red list countries.
All high-risk travellers will be funnelled through the terminal after concerns they have been mixing with passengers coming from green and amber destinations.
They will now go through Terminal 3, although a ‘red list’ facility is planned eventually for Terminal 4.
Inbound red list travellers are required to undergo hotel quarantine for 10 days and take a pre-departure Covid test and additional PCR tests on day 2 and 8.
There are 43 countries on the UK’s red list although only a few have direct flights to the UK.
It includes India, the Philippines, and several African and South American nations.
"Red list routes will likely be a feature of UK travel for the foreseeable future as countries vaccinate their populations at different rates," an airport spokesperson said.
"We’re adapting Heathrow to this longer-term reality by initially opening a dedicated arrivals facility in Terminal 3."
The airport admits it will be ‘logistically very challenging.’
It will have several extra layers of protection including enhanced social distancing and cleaning protocols.
