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On Monday, Aegean Airlines suspended all international flights save a limited service to Brussels and reduced the number of flights within Greece. PHOTO: RHL Images/WIKKICOMMONS

Greece announces total travel ban with Turkey and UK flight ban

24 March 2020 3:28pm

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On Monday Greece announced the temporary suspension of all transport links with Turkey and also the suspension of all flights to the United Kingdom.

Government spokesperson Aristotelia Peloni told a press briefing on 23 March that the entry of people from Turkey into Greece was forbidden as a preventative health measure to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus. She said that all transport links with Turkey were to be suspended until 15 April.

Greek citizens, people with Greek residents’ permits or those whose main residence was in Greece were exceptions to the latest travel measures.

Ms Peloni added that trucks and ships delivering goods were also exempt.

READ MORE: Curbs on travel create unprecedented pressure on the travel industry

Meanwhile, Aegean Airlines announced on Monday that it was suspending flights abroad from 26 March to 30 April. The airline had also reduced its domestic flight schedule.

According to ANA, the carrier would run a limited flight schedule to and from Brussels in order to help maintain Greece’s connection with the European Union’s administrative centre.

The company said that it would continue to work with the Greek government to repatriate Greeks stranded abroad by Covid-19 measures and was also available to meet other requirements from government.

To date the airline has carried out eight repatriation flights to bring back Greeks from the Czech Republic, Georgia, Morocco, Poland, Serbia and Spain.

The government of Cyprus had also chartered a flight from London to Larnaca, the airline said.