Greece pushes back restart date for British flights
Greece has extended its ban on flights from the UK until mid-July, while it will open to all other European countries, except Sweden, at the beginning of the month.
The Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said no flights from the UK or Sweden will be allowed until July 15, because of high levels of coronavirus infection.
He reportedly said: "The whole opening procedure is dynamic and the data will be continuously evaluated."
TUI had earmarked four Greek islands for when it resumes operations on July 11.
A TUI spokesperson said: "We remain flexible and continuously monitor Government advice. We hope to be adding Greece to our programme as soon as it’s feasible to do so."
Greece’s ban on flights originally expired on June 30, according to Greek Travel Pages.
Sunvil chairman Noel Josephides said: "Greece always said the UK and Sweden would not be on the first list of countries. They would let in the ones that they felt were more in control. We’ve been working to mid-July for some time."
Sunvil’s Greece programme is due to restart with a Gatwick flight to Lemnos on July 16; Manchester, Stansted and Gatwick to Kefalonia two days later, then Gatwick to Preveza on July 19. Corfu will be served from Gatwick and Manchester from July 20 and Skiathos from July 24.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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