Europe
- Since 4 MayA mask must be worn when travelling on the networks Eurostar and ThalysFailure to do so may result in denied boarding or a fine.
- The extension of the state of health emergency in France until 24 July will include a quarantine travellers wishing to visit France, including French nationals French. This measure should not affect people from the European Union, the Schengen area or the United Kingdom.
- The French government will support Air France KLM to the tune of seven billion eurosThe Netherlands is also expected to announce its support for the French carrier. The Netherlands is also expected to make official its support for the airline group.
- A few days earlier, the United States had already unveiled a vast rescue planwhich is estimated at some 25 billion dollars.
- RATP CEO Catherine Guillouard gave her predictions for the lifting of the lockdown: " For the 11 MayWe are currently working on a scenario that aims to reactivate an average of 70% of network capacity. The automatic metro lines 1 and 14 will be at 100%." she told France Inter.
- Emmanuel Macron has set the target of 11 May for a partial lifting of the containmentwhich - in the first instance - will not concern hotels. " Places frequented by the public, such as restaurants, cafés and hotels, cinemas, theatres, theatres and museums, will remain closed at this stage." said the President of the Republic.
- Emmanuel Macron also spoke of " a specific plan (...) for sectors such as tourism, hotels, catering, culture and events, which will be affected for a long time to come" .
- Group management Lufthansa has unveiled an initial set of measures, based in particular on a fleet reduction by disposing of some forty aircraft, based on the observation that it was "too expensive to operate". It will be months before global travel restrictions are completely lifted and years before global demand returns to pre-crisis levels. ".
- Brussels Airlines is extending the temporary suspension of its flights by four weeks. Announced for 20 April, the resumption of its commercial activities is now scheduled for the end of the month. planned for 15 May. Flexible rebooking options have been introduced, including the possibility for passengers to postpone their travel plans until 30 April 2021. The Belgian airline is maintaining a minimum capacity for repatriation flights and the transport of humanitarian cargo. Initially aiming for a stable flight offer as soon as operations resume, Brussels Airlines is currently working on a smaller network. From 15 May, the airline will gradually increase its offer according to demand and market needs.
- La SNCF continues to operate certain regional trains as part of its core business. 18% of TER services - i.e. 1,730 trips per day - will be maintained. The aim is to facilitate the main home-work connections, hospital services and access to essential shops. In Hauts-de-France, for example, following consultation with the region and passenger associations, 30% of the transport plan has been adapted on the Paris-Laon, Paris-Beauvais, Paris-Amiens and Paris-Compiègne-Saint Quentin routes to meet the needs of hospital and nursing staff. Rather than concentrating services at peak times, the timetables have been revised to better serve the needs of certain care staff working staggered hours. The number of daily TER services (trains and coaches) by region :
Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes: 313
Burgundy-Franche-Comté: 107
Brittany: 58
Centre-Val de Loire: 67
Eastern France: 562
Hauts-de-France: 145
Normandy: 61
New Aquitaine: 80
Western France: 121
Pays de la Loire: 126
Southern region: 90 - Le Lufthansa Group has decided to extend until May 3 its repatriation flightswhich was initially scheduled to run until 19 April. Lufthansa will continue to offer 18 weekly long-haul flights with three services a week from Frankfurt to Newark, Chicago, Montreal, Sao Paulo, Bangkok and Tokyo. Flights to Johannesburg, on the other hand, had to be suspended. In addition, the German airline is still offering some fifty daily connections from Frankfurt and Munich to major cities in Germany and Europe. All other flights remaining in the original schedule between 25 April and 3 May will be cancelled.
- The airport of London Gatwick closed the North terminal on 1 April, and reduced its opening hours from 2pm to 10pm.
- EasyJet a stopped all its flights since 30th March for an as yet unknown period.
- The airport ofOrly closed its doors on 31 March.
READ MORE: " Orly stops, Roissy concentrates its operations"
- Le London City Airport closed its doors to the public on 25 March until the end of April. The hub offers flights to 45 destinations in Europe, with annual traffic of over 5 million passengers. From France, the cities of Chambéry, Nice, Quimper and Rennes were linked to City Airport, as were Antwerp, Geneva and Luxembourg.
- The Senate of Berlin - in fact the regional government of the German capital, which is a Land - is talking very seriously about closing the city's main airport at Tegel faced with the fall of 90% passenger traffic. The decision could be taken in the next few days and could even mean the premature death of this hub. Berlin Tegel is due to close its doors definitively this October with theThe inauguration of the new airport from Berlin Brandenburg International at the Schönefeld site. In the meantime, all flights will be concentrated in the current Schönefeld terminal. A decision will be taken in the next few days...
- Transavia suspended its entire flight programme from 21 Marchand until 19 April. The airline promises an automatic ticket refund.
- La RATP has deployed since 23 March 20 bus shuttles to make it easier for hospital staff to travel between major transport hubs and the main hospital centres. This service, developed with Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), will operate for an indefinite period. At the same time, the SNCF proposes the free travel for medical and paramedical staff on the TGV (INOUI and OUIGO) and Intercités networks. Doctors, nurses and care assistants simply need to show their professional card or a certificate issued by their employer.
READ ALSO: " Tourism players get involved in the health crisis"
- The ministers French Foreign AffairstheInteriorand the Secretary of State for transport have published a joint press release on the subject of French nationals on international mobility schemes. It states: " We recommend that French nationals whose usual place of residence is outside the European Union should, within the next 30 daysavoid international travel as much as possible, even when returning to your home countryunless imperative reasons force them to do so. If certain people deem it necessary to return to France, particularly in view of their health conditions, they should make themselves known to our embassies and consulates as soon as possible" . Faced with the reintroduction of border controls - or even their closure - within the EU itself, the ministers recommend that French nationals residing in these countries " avoid intra-European travel, even to return to national territoryunless there are compelling reasons for not doing so" . He added: " If several land borders have to be crossed to return to France, direct returns by air should be preferred wherever possible." . Conversely, business travellers still abroad are invited to " take all necessary steps to return to France quickly" .
- Visit Germanygatherings" of more than two people have been banned since 23 March.
- Le United Kingdom and the Greece have in turn put in place measures to containment.
- Emmanuel Macron made official the closure of access to theEuropean Union and theSchengen area from midday on 17 March, for a period of 30 days. The containment came into force at midday on Tuesday.
- L'airport international Luxembourg Findel has closed its doors to passenger traffic until further notice. Only cargo flights will be allowed, as well as a few flights to repatriate the last Luxembourg travellers stranded abroad. Luxembourg's Minister for Mobility, François Bauch, has also announced a reduction in services on the following routes public transportdue to containment. The number of passengers on public transport has already fallen by 40%.
- L'Spainin a state of emergency closed its land borders on the evening of 16 March.
- L'Germany has virtually closed its borders with Francethe Switzerland and Austria.
READ MORE: " Germany and France close their borders almost completely "
- While the Denmark closed schools, universities and all cultural institutions, the railways in the kingdom are also adapting to the coronavirus situation. The Danish rail operator is adding extra carriages to its trains so that passengers can keep a safe distance from the virus. safe distance than other travellers, in order to reduce the risk of transmission of the coronavirus. Danske Statsbaner (DSB) has also declared that all its tickets - whatever the fare - will be free of chargeIn addition, DSB has introduced a temporary ban on the use of the DSB website, so that people who are still hesitating about travelling can benefit from a guarantee in the event of cancellation. Among other measures, DSB is also temporarily banning cash payments on trains to reduce transmission. The government has announced that it is encouraging travellers to use public transport, and to do so at off-peak times.
- La Czech Republic and the Slovakia have closed their borders with the rest of the European Union in an attempt to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: " The Czech Republic and Slovakia barricade themselves in"
- Swiss decided to close its lounges in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The reason: the ban on concentrating large numbers of people in a small area, and the fall in traffic in the high-fare classes combined with high operating costs. As a result, the SWISS Alpine Lounge and the lounges in zone D have been closed since Wednesday. Only the Senator Lounge Dock E and the Lounge Center Business Class Dock A remain open, with reduced opening hours. The Senator Lounge is open from 13:30 until the airport closes and the Lounge Center Business Class Dock A is open from 19:00 until the airport closes. In Geneva, the First Class Lounge is no longer open to the public from 15th March.
- La Thello rail company which operates between France and Italy has suspended all its train services on 10 March. This concerns the Paris-Venice and Venice-Paris night trains as well as the daytime service on the Marseille-Nice-Milan line, in both directions. The suspension is effective until 3 April inclusive.
- Visit FranceLike most airlines, the SNCF has relaxed the conditions for postponing journeys. The railway company is making free of charge the exchange costs and reimbursements tickets, for travel up to 30 April 2020. This initiative concerns travel in TGV Inouiin Intercités and in Ouigo. " The SNCF Group is adapting to this difficult period linked to the spread of Covid-19, which is generating a feeling of uncertainty in the travel plans of French people and foreign tourists." says management.
- The Land of Bavaria plans tocancel all its trade fairs and conferences over the next two months until the mid-May announced the Land Minister for Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger.
Americas
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READ MORE: " The United States cuts its ties with the Schengen area"
- LATAM Airlines and its subsidiaries announce a 95 % reduction in their activities in AprilThe South American airline group will not be operating flights to or from Europe in April. The South American airline group will not be operating any flights to or from Europe during April. Internationally, only some frequencies will operate from Brazil - between Sao Paulo and Miami and New York - and from Chile, between Santiago and Miami and Los Angeles.At homeIn Brazil, LATAM Airlines Brazil will continue to serve 39 destinations with reduced frequencies, connecting its hubs in São Paulo, Brasília and Fortaleza. In Chile, LATAM will maintain reduced frequencies to 13 of its 16 destinations. The operations of LATAM's subsidiaries in Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador remain suspended.
- From the evening of 19 March until further notice, California is in turn in containment. Travel must be limited to essential needs. Throughout the state, restaurants, gymnasiums and convention centres are closed, and public events and gatherings are banned.
- Non-resident foreign travellers are prohibited from entering the country. Canada from Wednesday 18 March. The country's airlines have been instructed not to accept on board their aircraft anyone showing symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus. The Minister urged his fellow citizens to return to Canada and not to travel abroad.
READ MORE: " Canada finally takes measures to ban its territories"
- Since 13 Marchthe United States are refusing access to their territory to travellers from theSchengen areaor 26 countries whose France. The measure announced by Donald Trump is scheduled to last 30 days and has since been extended. extended to the UK.
- Amtrak has suspended its non-stop rail service between New York and Washington DC. This route was launched in September 2019, offering a journey time of just over 2.5 hours on weekdays using Acela high-speed trains. The American operator is thus responding to the reduction in demand linked to the coronavirus. The high-speed train leaves New York Penn Station at 6.35am and arrives at Washington Union Station at 9.10am. The return journey leaves at 4.30pm and arrives at 1905. However, passengers will still be able to take Amtrak's slower regional services on this route, a journey time of around three and a half hours.
Australia
- It's a first for world aviation: the Australian carrier Qantas operates a non-stop service between Darwin, Northern Australia and London Heathrow. The Darwin stopover is part of the Sydney-London, which usually makes a stop in Singapore-Changinow closed to flights to Europe and Australia. The route is being operated all this week for repatriating nationals from both countries. But it could herald more non-stop flights between Australia and Europe once the crisis is over.
Asia
- La South Korea has been testing all passengers arriving from Europe for the coronavirus since 22 MarchThe South Korean government has announced that it is further tightening border controls to prevent the disease reappearing. The announcement was made on 20 March by the South Korean Ministry of Health. From Sunday, foreigners arriving from Europe for a long-term stay in South Korea will be quarantined for 14 days, whether or not they have symptoms. South Korea has already stepped up checks on all passengers arriving from abroad, requiring them to undergo temperature checks, fill in health questionnaires, provide their mobile phone number and download an application to send the authorities daily reports on their state of health.
- The last major country in South-East Asia with open borders, the Thailand is closed to foreign visitors since 22 March. This does not involve an official closure of its borders, but rather the compulsory presentation of a certificate of non-contamination with COVID-19 for all foreign travellers. Until now, this measure had only been applied to a small number of countries considered to be danger zones, such as Italy. Airlines have been instructed to refuse any passenger without the famous certificateThis is impossible to obtain in France if you are considered to be in good health and symptom-free...
- Singapore Airlines suspended all flights between Paris and Singapore since 15 March and until 31 May. This decision follows the decision by the Singaporean authorities to ban all travellers from France, Germany, Italy and Spain from entering the country - and from transiting through.
- At 0.01 am on 25 March, theIndia returned to total containment with all residents ordered to stay in their homes. Visit domestic overhead lines are completely suspended, after theinternational flights stopped ten days ago. More than 90% of railway services are also shut down. Containment will last 21 days. With 1.4 billion Indians confined to their homes, there are now over 2.5 billion inhabitants who are in quarantine, i.e. just over a third of the world's population.
- L'India had already decided to invalidate all types of visa already issued from 13 March. The country will now only issue visas on justification and on a case-by-case basis at its embassies. Travellers who have recently visited Francein Germany and Spain have to undergo a mandatory quarantine for 14 days on arrival in the country.
- The Tokyo Olympic Games initially scheduled from 24 July at 9 Augusthave finally been postponed. According to the IOC, the Olympics should be held "no later than the summer of 2021". The economic stakes are colossal, since organising the Olympic Games represents a total investment of 11.3 billion euros.
- Singapore is charging visitors for coronavirus treatment carried out in its hospitals. The measure, which applies to all short-stay travellers, is aimed particularly at visitors from neighbouring countries who come specifically to the city-state for treatment. But it also applies to European travellers. " In view of the growing number of COVID-19 infections worldwide and the increase in the number of confirmed cases in Singapore, we will need to preserving the resources of our public hospitals "said the Ministry of Health in a statement. Screening for the virus remains free, but treatment for severe respiratory infections in Singapore's public hospitals costs between S$6,000 and S$8,000 (€3,800 and €5,000), according to the Ministry of Health website.
- Le Vietnam has revoked the free visa-on-arrival scheme for nine European countries, including France. This visa system had been in force for three years. The government says that the measure is only temporary and that visitors can continue to come if they have a valid visa issued by the embassy online, as well as a medical certificate.
Middle East
- Le Kuwait a suspended all air services. Residents have been forbidden to visit cafés and restaurants, which are therefore expected to close their doors...
- L'Saudi Arabia no longer accepts passengers from a large number of countries, including France, Spain, Germany and Turkey.
- A BahrainGulf Air has suspended its flights to Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. The airline had already suspended its services to the United Arab Emirates, in particular Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Land crossings between Bahrain and its Saudi neighbour have been suspended. Passengers wishing to enter Bahrain from highly contaminated areas such as Italy or Singapore must obtain a visa before arrival.
- Passengers from Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland travelling in Egypt will have to undergo screening on arrival on Egyptian soil, complete a medical monitoring certificate, and undergo physical monitoring by a medical team for 14 days. A milder form of quarantine.
- At United Arab EmiratesThe Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is carrying out a COVID-19 test on passengers arriving from Beijing, Beirut, Rome, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Bangkok and Phuket if Dubai is their final destination. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) carries out a COVID-19 test on passengers arriving from Beijing, Beirut, Rome, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Bangkok and Phuket if Dubai is their final destination. An airport services team will escort customers to the health control area at Dubai International Airport on arrival. Transit passengers at Dubai International Airport are not tested, but must undergo a temperature check before boarding their connecting flight.
- Le Kuwait also bans anyone who has travelled 14 days before entering Kuwait to several Asian countries (China, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Singapore or Thailand) as well as to Egypt, Iran, Iraq or Lebanon. Kuwait Airways has already suspended flights to Iran, Italy, Lebanon and Thailand.
- The Ministry of Health of Qatar said that visitors from 14 countries are now banned from entering the country. No European countries are affected, as the majority of designated countries are in Asia. This includes travellers from China, India, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand. In the region, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon are also affected by the ban. However, Qatar Airways points out that transit passengers are not subject to this measure, but must undergo medical screening - usually a temperature scan - when disembarking from the aircraft. Qatar Airways also confirms that it has suspended all its flights to Italy until at least the end of March. It may make further adjustments to its timetable.
Information updated on 4 May
