Greece is extending restrictions on domestic flights until 12 April and on international flights until 19 April as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise, Reuters reported. Passengers flying to Greece must receive a negative PCR test 72 hours before arrival and undergo random testing for COVID-19. All foreign travellers are quarantined for seven days.

Budget carrier Ryanair is announced major cuts to its flight schedule due to latest surge of Covid-19 cases that lead to new lockdowns. The changes will come in effect from 21 January, BBC reported. All customes affected by the cancellations should receive special emails advising them on free moves or refunds.

Norway is lifting its ban on flights from Britain, introduced to stop the spread of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus, the health ministry said on Friday. Planes will be allowed to land from 2 January afternoon. Norway halted on 21 December travel from Britain after news that the new variant of the virus was rapidly spreading.

Europe is set to waive its flight ban on the Boeing 737 MAX passenger jetliner in January 2021 after US regulators suspended a 20-month grounding triggered by two fatal aircraft crashes.

Nearly 200 airports across Europe are on the brink of an insolvency abyss following the slump in air travel, the airports' trade body has warned. A report by Airports Council International (ACI) Europe has estimated that no less than 193 airports on the continent “face insolvency in the coming months if passenger traffic does not start to recover by the year-end”.

Beijing shut all schools and cancelled at least 1,225 flights on Wednesday, as the city registered 31 new coronavirus cases, news wires reported. City officials have urged residents not to leave the city, and several provinces have quarantined travellers from Beijing after 137 new cases were confirmed in the capital in recent days. The new cases have raised fears of a second wave of infections as China had largely brought its domestic outbreak under control.

Turkey resumed domestic flights on Monday as it eases restrictions in place since March to contain the novel coronavirus. The first passenger plane took off from Istanbul for the capital, Ankara, tweeted Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu, who was on board.

Lufthansa announced plans to restart its service across Europe with special focus on tourist destinations. By mid-June the company will start flying to 20 vacation hotspots, including Mallorca, Crete, Rhodes, Faro, Venice, Ibiza and Malaga. All flights are planned to depart from Frankfurt. The airline is expected to announce further destinations by the end of the week.