Airlink Suspends Flights From Johannesburg To Nosy Be Due To Travel Restrictions
Airlink Suspends Flights From Johannesburg To Nosy Be Due To Travel Restrictions. Airlink announced that it will be suspending flights from Johannesburg to Nosy Be in Madagascar effective from the 27th of June 2021. This is due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the pandemic has forced many countries to close their boarders and to restrict travelling due to the rise in cases as well the new variant that has been discovered. Madagascar has suspended all travel from several countries and South Africa is one of them.
Airlink Managing Director and CEO Rodger Foster explained to Independent Online that, “We regret the impact this will have for those customers already holding confirmed bookings for the April/ Easter holidays. Unfortunately despite multiple efforts from the lodges on Nosy Be, the Nosy Be Tourism Authority, and Ravinala Airports, we have to date been unable to obtain certainty as to when Madagascar intends to reopen its borders for regional travel. This leaves us with no option but to cancel our planned flights on the route in the interim.”
Nosy Be is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is regarded as Madagascar’s largest and busiest tourist resort.
“We had multiple engagements with the Malagasy authorities. We are hopeful that the borders will reopen in time for the June and July peak South African holiday season and August to October period, which coincides with the return of the whale sharks to the island,” added Foster.
These travel restrictions will affect their Tourism Industry negatively; many citizens could lose jobs and find themselves partaking in illegal activities just to provide for their families as the island, like most of Madagascar, suffers from an extreme level of uncertainty linked to crime and violence.
“Last-minute changes to the COVID-19 travel restrictions in South Africa and countries we serve oblige us to make adjustments to our flight schedules at short notice. We strive to get you to your destination safely and as close as possible to your intended travel time. In some instances, this may involve changes to departure and arrival times or transferring your booking to an alternative flight. Please check our flight schedule for any new developments. We apologise for any inconvenience and frustration these changes might cause.” said Airlink in a statement on its website.
