KLM stops long-haul flights due to new travel restrictions
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Airline KLM stops flying to distant destinations. This decision is KLM's response to the tightened entry conditions for the Netherlands announced by the cabinet yesterday.
According to KLM, it is impossible to operate intercontinental flights if flight personnel are required to undergo a corona rapid test. As a result, there is a risk that employees will have to stay behind abroad. The cancellation of the flights applies to passenger flights (including repatriation) but also to cargo flights. As a result, the airline can no longer transport medical devices to combat COVID-19.
KLM will not accept that staff have to stay behind abroad. You cannot expect such a thing from an employer, according to a spokesperson. It is not yet clear when KLM will stop flying. We will first map out which flights are involved.
Due to the new measures taken by the cabinet, everyone traveling to the Netherlands must undergo a rapid test just before departure. Now this only applies to travelers from South Africa and the UK.
Travelers from most countries already have to be able to show a negative PCR test result of up to 72 hours old when traveling to the Netherlands. In the new situation, travelers must therefore be able to submit both a negative PCR test and a rapid test, which gives a result within fifteen minutes. With this, the cabinet wants to discourage travel abroad.
In addition, the government wants a mandatory quarantine of ten days for all travelers arriving in the Netherlands, the implementation of which will take some time because the law will have to be amended.
Source: NU.nl
According to Luchtvaartnieuws, there would be an attempt to prevent the flights from being stopped:
"This site has learned that KLM is still working behind the scenes to request an exceptional position for crews from the government, so that staff will not have to undergo a mandatory antigen test and ICA flights can continue."
https://luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/categorie/2/airlines/klm-stopt-met-verre-vluchten-wegens-aangescherpt-reisbeleid
Day. According to this post https://vnconline.nl/actueel/media-lopen-vooruit-op-klm-zaken Nu.nl is ahead of the game.
Already halfway through last year, Emirates carried out rapid tests on some flights upon departure from Duba. You can blame them for not being able to look further ahead at KLM, instead of shouting loudly, they better get to work immediately to arrange the speed tests and also 2 extra pilots, for the latter I think it is no good problem is because many flights are not being carried out and therefore there are plenty of pilots available who are at home. But yes, it will be about the money and having 2 pilots spend the night extra costs, for example, in Bangkok 2x 2500 baht in a luxury hotel, something like 150 Euro extra. And the pilots already stay in a "bubble" during their stay elsewhere, which means that the chance of them becoming infected is very small. It does not seem to me to be a problem for spare crew members either, because local cabin crew can be used (already cheaper than Dutch personnel), for example people from an Asian country who are then on stand-by in case a rapid test is positive. Problem solved.
It's getting crazier we actually had to fly back with Lufthansa on January 20th. We were right on time with PCR test from day old. Unfortunately Mr. Germany demands 48 hours PCR test upon arrival in Germany. Ok how do we do that with a flight of 12 hours ?? We were not taken along with 17 other people ?? Called the embassy “sorry can't help you” .I don't know how to go back to the Netherlands right now
It may just be me, but a day old PCR test is 24 hours in my opinion. Following a flight of 12 hours, the total is 36 hours. You then have 12 hours to get to 48 hours.
Seems tight to me, but not impossible. Or you are not telling the whole story clearly.
Dear Raymond,
We had the PCR test done on January 18, received the results on January 19 and tried to fly to the Netherlands on January 20. Unfortunately, arrival in Germany is longer than 48 hours
I don't quite understand this, because if I look at the current data on the Lufthansa website - and interpret it correctly - you could be allowed on board in Thailand without that test when transiting through Germany.
https://www.lufthansa.com/dk/en/entry-into-germany
After all, Thailand does not belong to the 'virus variant areas' designated by the German RIVM – the Robert Koch Institute:
1. Folgende Staaten gelten actuell als Virusvarianten-Gebiete:
Brasilien – gesamt Brasilien (Virusvarianten-Gebiet seit 19. Januar, seit 15. June 2020 prepared as Risikogebiet ausgewiesen)
Associations of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Nordic Country - the united Kingdom of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Nordic Country (Virus variants area on January 13, November 15, 2020 available as Risk Area)
Irland – together Irland (Virus Variants Area on January 13, January 9, 2021 available as Risk Area)
South Africa (Virus Variants-Gebiet on 13. January, on 15. June 2020 prepared as Risikogebiet ausgewiesen)
Did you perhaps have a separate ticket for the Frankfurt – Schiphol route?
If too many international flights are cancelled, the vaccines will not be able to reach other regions and the problem will never be under control.
Will the vaccines be sent by ship? No, that's not possible either. Should each country develop and produce its own vaccine?
By the way, now that these flights are canceled for fear of contamination from abroad, if it is already very widely distributed domestically, seems rather illogical to me.
At Lufthansa I read that a PCR test applies 48 hours in advance from a number of countries, Thailand is not listed. I don't think you can fly from Thailand to Germany.
Here's a quote from Lufthansa's statement:
Due to the requirements of the German Federal Police of January 13, 2021, passengers from Brazil, Great Britain, Ireland and South Africa are subject to extended travel conditions.
and the link:
https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/flight-information
I try to empathize with KLM and understand that they have a duty of care for their staff. What I don't understand is that people want to take positively tested personnel on the flight, I don't think that's the intention?
The Dutch airline KLM will again cut up to 1.000 jobs on top of the previously announced 5.000. “The reality is that the recovery, especially in the long-haul destinations, is taking considerably longer than expected,” KLM said, prompting the airline to make more job cuts.
How is it possible that a Thai (leaving tonight with KLM to Bangkok) can fly without a Covid test. A Fit to Travel document, which is purchased online for 60 euros, is all that is needed. And we Dutch (including KLM staff) are obliged to have a PCR test before departure? What nonsense !
The point is that the test is necessary for the return flight to Amsterdam.
As a result, crew members may not be allowed to return and must be quarantined on site or taken to a hospital.
In Bangkok that may not be so bad, in Botswana it seems less pleasant.
60 Euro is quite the price, we paid 12 Euro for Fit-To-Fly.
Latest news:
For crew and travelers from the Netherlands Antilles and 9 'safe' countries, there will be an exemption from the rapid test obligation before departure to the Netherlands.
The government has just announced this. These are Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Iceland, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China. These are the countries that also do not require a PCR test. So it seems that KLM can continue to fly to these (island) countries, but there is no official confirmation yet.
Source: https://vnconline.nl/actueel/geen-sneltestverplichting-voor-crew-en-reizigers-op-nederlandse-antillen-en-9-andere-landen