Many countries in South America, including Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, have banned all commercial flights for the time being, but none have extended their timeline as far out as Argentina.
Staff members stand at airport terminal during a national strike in Buenos Aires, Argentina (File Photo: IANS)
Argentina has banned all internal and international commercial flights until September 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the authorities on Monday.
While the country’s borders have been closed since March, the new decree, signed by the National Civil Aviation Administration, goes further by banning until Sept. 1 the sale and purchase of commercial flights to, from or within Argentina.
The international aviation agency, Iata, sent a letter to the Argentine government, saying the decision breached bilateral agreements and put at risk more than 300,000 jobs in the country.
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Many countries in South America, including Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, have banned all commercial flights for the time being, but none have extended their timeline as far out as Argentina.
The United States, Brazil and Canada have imposed restrictions, but not outright bans.
Meanwhile, Alta, a group which lobbies interests of Latin American and Caribbean airlines, said the decree was not “agreed with the industry”.
According to a spokesman for President Alberto Fernández said, “The problem was that airlines were selling tickets without having authorization to travel to Argentine soil”.
The ban would also affect smaller low-cost carriers that have grown rapidly in Argentina with the support of former President Mauricio Macri.
The country currently has 4,003 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 197 deaths, according to figures from the Johns Hopkins University.
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