UK News Tui cancels all flights to Spain and Canary Islands

Airline and holiday company Tui has suspended all flights from Spain and the Canary Islands scheduled to leave on Sunday.

© Getty Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK and Ireland, said the company would contact customers to arrange refunds or rebookings

Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK and Ireland, made the announcement on Saturday evening just hours before new rules came into force for UK travellers.

It comes after the government added Spain and the islands to the list of at-risk countries during the coronavirus pandemic.

UK adds Spain to quarantine list: What does this mean for holidaymakers?

People returning to the UK from Spain will have to self-isolate for two weeks.It means those returning from the country will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return to the UK.

TUI cancels all Spain , Canary Islands and Balearic Islands holidays until mid-September. TUI HOLIDAYS to Spain have been dealt another blow after the tour operator revealed it is cancelling even more trips to mainland Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands .

" TUI UK have taken the decision to cancel all holidays to mainland Spain up to and including Sunday 9th August 2020," it said in a statement. Therefore all those that wish to travel to the Balearic Islands and Canary Isands will be able to travel as planned from Monday 27th July."

This means holidaymakers arriving back from Spain, the Canaries and the Balearic Islands face the prospect of isolating for two weeks from midnight on Sunday 26 July.

Under the rules, Britons have been advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain by the Foreign Office, however, this hasn't been applied to Canaries and the Baleariacs.

Meanwhile airlines EasyJet and British Airways are planning to continue their flights as normal over the coming days and EasyJet that fliers no longer wishing to travel could seek to transfer their flights without a fee or receive a voucher.

© Getty Britons who are on holiday in Spain, the Balearics and the Canaries will have to quarantine when they return home

Mr Flintham assured passengers who are currently on holiday that they will be able to return on their intended flight home, while others would be contacted by Tui to arrange refunds or rebookings.

Warning of holiday ‘uncertainty’ as fears grow of second Covid wave

France and Germany have warned of possibly introducing new lockdowns, according to reports.The Government has stood by its decision to strike Spain off the UK’s list of safe destinations after it saw a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.

Tour operator TUI has cancelled all British holidays to mainland Spain from today until August 9, after the UK TUI , Britain’s biggest tour operator, said its decision did not apply to the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands , where coronavirus case numbers are markedly lower than in parts of mainland Spain .

“ Tui UK have taken the decision to cancel all holidays to mainland Spain up to and including Therefore all those that wish to travel to the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands will be able to “While our flights continue to operate, we are disappointed that the government is now advising

He said: "We're incredibly disappointed that we didn't get more notice of this announcement, or that this decision wasn't made yesterday, as many Brits travel on holiday at the weekend.

"We also look to understand why quarantine has been issued for a whole country, including the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands, when the travel advice isn't aligned (only applying to mainland Spain). It demonstrates why clear regional travel corridors need to be considered.

"The health and safety of our customers and colleagues is always our highest priority and welcome travel advice that protects those that holiday with us.

"However, the UK government must work closely with the travel industry as this level of uncertainty and confusion is damaging for business and disappointing for those looking forward to a well-deserved break."

© Getty Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is currently on holiday in Spain and will have to quarantine when he returns

The new rules were announced by the Department for Transport, with the government asking employers across the nations to be "understanding" of workers who need to self-isolate.

Plea for targeted quarantines as travel firms feel second wave pain

Holiday firm TUI has called on the government to take a regional, rather than a national, approach to the imposition of coronavirus quarantine measures after it cancelled flights to mainland Spain. © Getty TUI has cancelled flights to mainland Spain until 9 August The company's UK managing director, Andrew Flintham, told Sky News a more "nuanced" attitude should be taken after ministers gave just hours' notice of a decision to force a 14-day isolation period on people arriving in the UK from all of Spain, citing a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Tui ’s cruise operation, Marella, had previously planned to begin voyages in mid-February. But with a tangle of travel restrictions across Europe and the Britain's biggest holiday company has cancelled all cruises before April as the coronavirus pandemic continues to frustrate plans for a re-start in sailings.

But now it has cancelled all holidays to the mainland until 17 August, and those to the Balearics and Canary Islands until 10 August. Affected customer can claim a full refund or switch to another holiday – with Tui making more available to the eastern Mediterranean, particularly the Greek islands .

Transport secretary Grant Shapps may also have to quarantine as he is currently away on holiday in Spain.

Mr Shapps is understood to have flown out on Saturday morning when the travel corridor with Spain remained open, but the government has since taken the decision to change its advice.

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He is believed to be planning to complete his holiday before returning to work and will follow the quarantine rules if they are still in place.

On Friday, Spain logged 922 infections, slightly down from 971 the day before, but officials are tracking more than 280 active outbreaks across the country.

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