Britons fear being stranded in Jordan after country closes airspace

Friday, 15 Mar, 2020 0

Britons are desperately trying to get home from Jordan after the Jordanian government announced yesterday that it was closing its airspace at midnight tomorrow.

All commercial flights will be stopped and all land and sea borders will be closed for at least two weeks, after which the decision will be reviewed.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "British nationals in Jordan or intending to travel to Jordan are strongly advised to immediately review their travel plans and consult their insurance provider; tour operator, and transport or accommodation provider about the impact on their plans."

EasyJet, which has flights between London and Aqaba, has apparently laid on a rescue flight to bring passengers home with seats being issued on a first come, first served basis.

However, one passenger told us that they were unable to get a seat on the flight because they received an error message every time they tried to make the booking on the airline’s website.

They said they tried to call the airline, but were unable to get through and the airline hasn’t responded to their emails and tweets.

They tried to find a flight home with other airlines, but were quoted £5,000 for an indirect flight – and they were concerned that if they took that, they could end up stranded in another country in the Middle East if it also closed its borders.

When they contact the British Consulate in Jordan, they were told it was the airline’s responsibility to get them home.

Royal Jordanian Airlines will suspend all flights from March 17 to March 31. The airline, which operates between London and Jordan, is refusing to refund passengers yet to travel, instead it is giving them to option to rebook, but tickets must be used within the next 12 months.

British Airways also flies from London to Amman, the capital of Jordan, but it doesn’t yet have any information on its website about the suspension of services to Jordan.

Around 95,800 British nationals visited Jordan last year, according to the FCO, but it’s not known how many are currently in the country.

Linsey McNeill

Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk

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