Greece Prolongs Suspension of Flights to and From Seven Countries
Greece authorities will continue the suspension of flights between Greece and seven countries, while non-EU nationals are prohibited to enter the country, Civil Aviation Service (CAS) announced.
Flights suspension extension includes Albania, Italy, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
The decision came as a preventative measure in the fight against Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
International flights must only land at the Athens International Airport (AIA), the country’s main airport.
Regarding the issue, 5 Notams were issued with the following restrictions:
- All flights to and from Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom are suspended until May 31 (23:5).
- All flights to and from Albania, North Macedonia are suspended to June 14 (23:59).
- All flights from Turkey to Greece are suspended to June 14 (23:59).
- Until May 31 (23:59), all international flights are obliged to land at AIA.
Exempted from this decision will be emergency flights, cargo flights, military and Frontex flights, as well as flights that aim to repatriate Greek nationals stranded abroad.
The entry ban by non-EU nationals also has been extended to May 31. Excluded from this decision will be family members, citizens of Schengen zone countries, health personnel, and third-country citizens with long-term visas to EU or Schengen countries, civil and defence authorities, humanitarian personnel, airline crew, and any non-EU citizen with a travel permit issued by a Greek consulate.
According to CAS domestic flights will start to introduce regular schedules, which have been suspended due to Coronavirus pandemic.
Due to COVID-19 developments, in April, Greece extended the temporary suspension of flights to Italy, Turkey, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and vice versa, until May 15, in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus, the Civil Aviation Authority announced.
As for Germany, the fights from and to the Athens International Airport have continued to operate.