The Middle East-based carrier, Emirates Airlines, is not happy with the South African authorities’ new restrictions governing the Covid-19 travel regulations for treating its crew members same as its passengers, the airline has announced.
Due to this, Emirates had cancelled several international flights to South Africa with immediate effect, the airline announced on Saturday.
Other international airlines have also cancelled in-bound and out-bound flights to and from the Indian Ocean port city of Durban’s King Shaka International Airport.
Foreign flights to and from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airports might also be grounded, the international airlines, threatened over the same lack of exemption issue.
According to Pretoria, it made no sense to exempt the foreign crew from Covid-19 requirements which were applicable to their passengers when the two sides had in fact interacted with each other during flights.
While South Africa opened its airspace to international travel for leisure and business on three days ago, leisure travellers from countries deemed high-risk states would not be allowed to enter the country under the new lockdown regulations for Level One.
Visitors from African countries, however, have no problems flying into the country, after Pretoria allowed them to enter the country using normal protocols for Covid-19 restrictions like presenting three-day old medical certificates on the date of entry.
NM/as/APA