New satellite images reveal the boom in air travel over Europe today as hundreds of planes take to the skies in response to loosening coronavirus restrictions.
Live data recorded more than a thousand planes over the continent this afternoon – compared with just a few hundred at the height of the pandemic in April.
It came as passengers flocked to airports across Europe, including London Gatwick, Brussels and Duesseldorf, where they were met by staff informing them about the latest safety measures.
Meanwhile, easyJet began its first flights – starting with a morning service from Gatwick to Glasgow – with all customers required to wear masks and go without food and alcohol.
Countries including Germany and France have opened their borders, but Britain is still insisting on a 14-day quarantine for all arrivals, including those from countries with far lower infection rates.
Spain is allowing thousands of Germans to fly to the Balearic Islands from today in a trial run for resuming its tourist season, after Germany lifted its travel warning for the EU.
However, several countries including Greece are still excluding Britons because of the UK’s high death rate while Swedes are similarly unpopular in many countries.
Britons are allowed into Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy but not Greece, the Netherlands or Austria and will have to quarantine in France, and the Foreign Office is still advising against unnecessary travel.
In addition, most of the continent is still closed to visitors from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas – although Greece is allowing some tourists from further afield.
France’s borders are open for travel within Europe, but Paris is insisting on reciprocity – meaning a 14-day quarantine for British visitors…
Air traffic over Europe in 2020 on the 3rd Monday of the month at 15:00 UTC.
Live traffic: https://t.co/oBoPCbYIRa
20 Jan: 4,221
17 Feb: 4,154
16 Mar: 3,247
20 Apr: 752
18 May: 1,115
15 Jun: 1,530 pic.twitter.com/uTTtyNFTsj— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 15, 2020
