The Heathrow Airport in London on Wednesday refused to allow extra flights from India, two days before the country is added to the United Kingdom’s travel “red-list” due to concerns about a mutation of the coronavirus detected there, the BBC reported.

Beginning Friday, all arrivals from India, except for British or Irish citizens, will be refused entry into the UK. British and Irish citizens will have to pay to stay in a UK government-approved quarantine hotel for 10 days on their return.

Presently, 30 flights operate between India and the UK in a week. However, four air carriers had requested the Heathrow Airport to allow eight more flights from India as travellers wanted to reach the UK before the new rules came into effect.

Heathrow Airport told the BBC that it refused airlines’ request for extra flights because it was worried about long lines at passport control. The airport said that it did not want to add to the existing pressures at the border by allowing more passengers to fly in.

“We are in a global health pandemic, people should not be travelling unless absolutely necessary,” an unidentified government spokesperson told the BBC. “Every essential check helps avoid the risk of importing dangerous variants of coronavirus which could put our vaccine rollout at risk.”

The UK had decided to put India on its travel “red-list” after 103 new cases of the double mutant variant were detected in Britain.

Labelled B.1.617, the mutant variant was first detected in India, but has been now found in at least 15 countries. It was believed to have two mutations – E484Q and L452R. However, scientists now say that it has another mutation – P6814 – because of which it is being referred to as a “triple mutant” variant.

India in witnessing a massive surge in coronavirus cases. On Thursday, the country reported a record 3,14,835 new infections, taking the total number of cases to 1,59,30,965 since the pandemic broke out in January 2020. For the first time, 2,104 deaths were recorded in India in a day. Its toll rose to 1,84,657.