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On Sunday, the government announced a 24-hour flight ban between the UK and Luxembourg, which was later extended until 3 January, before it was entirely lifted on Wednesday afternoon. Photo: Shutterstock 

On Sunday, Luxembourg was one of many EU member states announcing a temporary suspension of flights from the UK, following a new mutation of the coronavirus that was discovered in England and is supposedly more infectious than the original. Although the ministry of European and foreign affairs initially only talked about a 24-hour flight ban between the grand duchy and the UK, the government, on Monday, announced that flights would not resume until 3 January. 

However, following thousands of lorries stuck on the motorway in Kent as France also closed its borders to the UK, including essential Channel links in Dover and Folkestone, the European Commission, in a report on Tuesday, urged EU member states to lift flight and train bans to and from the UK stating that “while it is important to take swift temporary precautionary action to limit the further spread of the new strain of the virus and all non-essential travel to and from the UK should be discouraged, essential travel and transit of passengers should be facilitated," adding that "flight and train bans should be discontinued given the need to ensure essential travel and avoid supply chain disruptions."

On Wednesday afternoon, Luxembourg’s ministries of transport, health and european and foreign affairs jointly announced that the flight ban between the grand duchy and the UK would be lifted as of midnight 23 December. 

Passengers wanting to travel to Luxembourg from the UK will, however have to provide a negative covid test result that is not older than 48 hours. 

Travellers whose test results are between 48 and 72 hours will be able to fly but have to get tested again upon arrival at the Luxembourg airport and will then have to self-isolate until they receive their test results.  

Whereas France and the Netherlands have also started lifting travel bans allowing travellers, lorry drivers and the like to cross the borders under certain conditions, around 40 other countries worldwide are still limiting or entirely banning travel from and to the UK, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, India and Canada.