US suspends travel from Europe for 30 days

US President Donald Trump has announced a 30-day suspension of flights between 26 European countries and the US, but the ban does not include the UK or Ireland.

In a bid to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, travellers from countries in the Schengen border-free travel area are now barred from entering the US.

The rules go into force on Friday at midnight and do not include American citizens, who will allowed to enter after health checks.

The ban applies to anyone who has been in the EU’s Schengen border-free area in the 14 days before their arrival in the US.

Although the ban doesn’t include the UK, it will impact travellers who are booked on flights to the US via other European hubs.

The US Travel Association said the move would have serious consequences for the US travel industry.

"Temporarily shutting off travel from Europe is going to exacerbate the already heavy impact of coronavirus on the travel industry and the 15.7 million Americans whose job depends on travel," said chief executive Roger Dow.

"We have and will continue to engage Congress and the administration on policy steps that are necessary to ensure that travel employers – 83% of which are small businesses – can keep their lights on for their employees."

Airlines are now scrambling to make the necessary changes to their schedules and to rebook customers.

Delta said it ‘will continue to quickly make adjustments to service, as needed, in response to government travel directives’.

"We will comply with the administration’s announcement," United Airlines said.

With the UK exempt, Heathrow Airport could see a spike in traffic even though general travel demand has plummeted.

Trump said the European Union had ‘failed to take the same precautions’ as the US over the coronavirus crisis by restricting travel from China.

In a speech from the White House he said he was taking ‘strong but necessary actions to protect the health and wellbeing of all Americans’.