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Mongolia’s government has updated its entry requirements for foreign travellers so that all arrivals, regardless of age, vaccination status, or country of departure, will no longer have to take a PCR or rapid test to enter the country nor will they have to test upon arrival or go into quarantine or self-isolation.

Botswana now allows unvaccinated travellers into the country, provided that they produce a negative COVID-19 test result. This is a reversal of last month’s decision to deny entry to travellers who were partially vaccinated or unvaccinated.

South Africa will remain at Adjusted Alert Level 1 with the following amendments taking effect on 23 March 2022; Indoor and outdoor gatherings are permitted at 50% of the total venue capacity, if there is evidence that a person is fully vaccinated, or a negative PCR test is provided. If proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test is not available, the current limits apply for venues (maximum of 1000 people indoors and no more than 2000 people outdoors. Where a venue does not permit these numbers with appropriate social distancing, only 50% of the capacity of the venue will be permitted). All COVID-19 health and safety protocols must be followed, including observance of guidelines for social distancing, sanitation, hygiene, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment, such as face masks where required. All international travellers arriving in South Africa must produce either proof that they are fully vaccinated, or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. Masks must be worn for the duration of travel. A person entering the Republic must be subjected to screening on arrival at the point of entry, including the completion of a traveller health questionnaire. It remains essential to check the entry requirements of the country you wish to travel to, inclusive of any transits, stop overs as well as the end destination. Any returning South African citizens and residents will be subject to entry regulations and protocols.

easyJet and easyJet holidays have added seven new routes and more holidays to its UK network for this summer. Four new routes will launch from London Gatwick, easyJet’s largest base. The airline will now serve Pristina in Kosovo for the first time from the UK. The country remains one of the last truly off-the-beaten-path destinations in Europe and customers can now access it via a four-weekly service operating for the first time from May 1st.

Emirates has confirmed that it will be commencing daily services to Tel Aviv from June 23rd. The carrier will operate its three-class Boeing 777-300ER on the route. Adnan Kazim, chief commercial officer, Emirates Airline, said: “We look forward to finally welcoming customers onboard our flights to and from Tel Aviv this summer, and offer them substantial connectivity to and through our Dubai hub as Covid-19 travel restrictions continue to ease around the world and more borders open up.

Qatar Airways is to resume flights to London Gatwick Airport from June 5th. The airline will operate a daily service from Gatwick to Doha using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in business class and 232 seats in economy. The resumption of the London Gatwick service complements recently launched flights to Doha from Gatwick by Qatar Airways’ joint business partner British Airways. The partnership means the airlines can jointly offer more options between London and the capital of Qatar.

Those travelling through Heathrow will no longer be required to wear a face mask after the airport announced that it is moving away from a mandate from tomorrow. In recognition that the pandemic is not over, however, Heathrow said it still strongly encourages those at the airport to continue wearing a face covering – particularly when coming into close contact with others. This, though, will no longer be a firm requirement.

Effective April 1, 2022 at 12:01 AM EDT, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to provide a pre-entry COVID-19 test result to enter Canada by air, land or water. Fully vaccinated travellers seeking to arrive in Canada before April 1, 2022, must still have a valid pre-entry test.

Vaccinated Australians will be allowed to enter New Zealand without needing to quarantine for COVID from April 12. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the border announcement on Wednesday morning. Ms Ardern said travellers from other countries with visa waiver arrangements with New Zealand would be allowed to enter without quarantine from May 1. We have now received guidance that it is safe to significantly bring forward the next stage of border re-opening work," she said. "We are ready to welcome the world back."

Malaysia will open its borders to international travellers from April 1st. The decision comes as the country transitions to an endemic phase of the pandemic, boosting the aviation and tourism sectors. The country has largely remained closed off to international visitors for two years. Under the new rules, fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine on arrival, provided they take a PCR test two days before departure and a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arrival in Malaysia.

Malaysia Airlines will be increasing its flight capacity by over 70,000 seats on its non-stop flight schedule from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur International Airport from March 27th. This will see the national carrier of Malaysia bring back its MH1 and MH3 flights to 11-times-weekly until June 29th. A full return to a double daily service will begin from June 30th onwards. This will significantly increase the volume of flights available for passengers ahead of the eagerly awaited Malaysia border openings on April 1st.

Qatar Airways will launch flights to Santorini, Greece, from June 7th. The destination joins Athens and Mykonos to become the third destination to be served in Greece by the national carrier of Qatar. The service will be operated by Airbus A320 featuring 12 seats in business class and 132 seats in economy. The airline will also restart its seasonal flights to Mykonos, Greece, in the same week, with four weekly flights, in addition, Athens will go to a double daily service, offering greater choice for business and leisure passengers alike.

Qatar Airways has enhanced its presence in Nigeria with the launch of four weekly flights to Kano (KAN). There will also be three weekly flights to Port Harcourt (PHC), both operating via the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Qatar Airways will operate to Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (KAN) in one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and the gateway to Kano’s rich historical treasures that have survived millennia.

Etihad Airways has announced a new European destination this summer with the introduction of flights to the French city of Nice from June 15th. The twice-weekly service will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays between Abu Dhabi and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport on a modern Boeing 787 aircraft, one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the world. Situated on the south-eastern coast of France, Nice is renowned for its famous waterfront, with a scenic seven-kilometre walkway known as the ‘Promenade des Anglais’.

Manchester City and Etihad Airways have announced the installation of new plastic recycling pods outside the Etihad Stadium that aim to inspire fans to make conscious choices and join the sustainability journey. As part of the airlines Recycle, Reward, Repeat initiative, the pods - which will in place at the stadium from this weekend’s game - will allow fans to recycle plastic bottles and earn exclusive Etihad rewards. Manchester City has made significant steps on its sustainability journey over a number of years, developing and adopting more environmentally friendly practices.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has launched a new route from Abu Dhabi to Mattala, Sri Lanka. Flights to the destination are scheduled on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The airline introduces a new segment of travel by adding its first destination to south Asia which will allow customers from across the broader Wizz Air network to travel via Abu Dhabi to the exotic destination. Mattala, nestled in pristine natural beauty, enjoys a tropical climate with easy access to neighbouring wildlife.

With flights returning to pre-pandemic frequency from London, a new partnership and borders reopening, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is seeking to embark on a road to recovery. The carrier will resume its full schedule from London Heathrow (LHR) to Changi Airport from June 2nd. With four daily flights (28 weekly), the new frequency will also encompass Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL).

Saint Lucia has announced updates to its international arrival protocols. Beginning tomorrow 5 March, fully vaccinated travellers and in-transit passengers aged five and over must have a negative rapid antigen test or a PCR test taken one day prior to entering Saint Lucia. All unvaccinated travellers must present a negative PCR test, taken up to one day prior to entering Saint Lucia. All travellers must register their information and upload test results online prior to travel.

Western Australia has reopened its borders nearly two years after first sealing them to all visitors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian state is the last to drop its travel entry ban, four months after the nation's biggest city Sydney welcomed back international travel. Fully vaccinated domestic visitors are allowed to enter the state without quarantining. Arrivals must do a rapid antigen test within 12 hours of arrival, and report the case if they test positive. International travellers to Western Australia must be fully vaccinated to enter without quarantining.

The US Department of State updated several of its travel advisories yesterday 1 March with 20 countries’ advisories changed based on the risk level of COVID-19 presence in those areas. Ghana, Lesotho, Liberia, Montserrat, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Togo moved to Level 2: Moderate Risk. Comoros, Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, and Uganda were designated Level 3: High Risk. Anguilla, Belarus, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Mali, Russia, Saba, and Vietnam were listed under Level 4: Very High Risk