Jet2 planes turn back mid-air as airline suspends all flights to Spain over coronavirus 'emergency'

Jet2 planes to Spain turned back in mid-air today as the airline announced it was suspending all flights to the country for a week amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The airline, which is based at nine UK airports, said it was halting travel to mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands with immediate effect.

New infections have risen sharply in Spain and the government put 60,000 people in four towns on a mandatory lockdown on Friday.

Prime minister Pedro Sanchez also said a two-week state of emergency will come into force as the death toll reached 120.

A spokeswoman for the airline confirmed on Saturday morning that flights had turned back while on their way to Spanish destinations.

A statement from Jet2 said: “In response to local measures introduced throughout Spain to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including the closure of bars, restaurants, shops, and activities including any water sports, we have taken the decision to suspend all flights for at least the next seven days to mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands with immediate effect.

“We know these local measures will have a significant impact on our customers’ holidays, which is why we have taken this decision.

“We are contacting our customers who are currently in these destinations, and who are due to travel, to advise them of their options, so we urge customers not to call us.

“This is a fast-moving and complex situation and we are reviewing our programme as a matter of urgency, so that we can fly customers back to the UK.

“The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority, and we would like to thank our customers for their understanding.”

Jet2 flies to destinations including Alicante, Malaga and Lanzarote.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its travel advice for Spain on Friday, advising against all but essential travel to the regions that the Spanish Ministry of Health has designated as areas of community transmission: Madrid and La Rioja, and the municipalities of La Bastida and Vitoria (both in the Basque Country) and Miranda de Ebro (in Castilla y Leon).

Meanwhile, LOT Polish Airlines, which flies to UK airports including Heathrow, Edinburgh and Nottingham, has suspended all connections from both Poland and Hungary for a period of 10 days from March 15.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Airlines cancelling flights to Spain will be worrying for customers, particularly those already in the country, who will urgently need clear information about support they will be offered and plans to ensure they get home safely.

“Passengers of all airlines will have questions about what this means for their upcoming trips, especially with the FCO already warning against travel to some parts of Spain, and the government and airlines should work as quickly as possible to clarify the situation for holidaymakers.

“The CAA must also monitor the situation closely to ensure airlines are fulfilling all their legal obligations to passengers when flights are disrupted, so that we don’t see a repeat of the situation in Italy where passengers were left stranded.”

Read more

Have you been washing your hands all wrong?

How is the UK preparing for coronavirus?

Coronavirus: How often should you clean your phone and how?

Can hand sanitiser gel protect against coronavirus?