Aegean Airlines has temporarily suspended all flights to and from Thessaloniki after the city was forced into lockdown due to a sharp rise in COVID cases. Flights have been canceled for a two-week period from 3rd November - 17th November, as Thessaloniki enters a 14-day local lockdown this Tuesday.
Domestic and international flights suspended
Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, is under a 14-day lockdown after the region experienced a spike in COVID cases. After the lockdown was announced on Monday, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) issued a ban on flights in and out of Thessaloniki International Airport.
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Aegean Airlines swiftly followed suit by announcing the suspension of all flights to Thessaloniki. The suspension will last until 17th November, when Thessaloniki will complete its lockdown period pending further notice. All passengers with tickets within this period will be contacted by the airline or their travel agent. Aegean announced in an official statement,
“Given the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic and following the newly adapted measures for the restriction of unnecessary movements in Thessaloniki, AEGEAN is obliged to proceed with the temporary suspension of its domestic and international network flights to and from Thessaloniki.”
Essential flights to and from Thessaloniki
While commercial travel has been suspended, Thessaloniki International Airport will still be operational for essential flights. According to GTP, the new directive issued by the HCAA permits the following flights:
Hellenic national healthcare system flights, repatriation flights, sanitary flights, humanitarian flights, military flights, cargo flights, fire fighting flights, frontex flights, technical landing flights (where passengers do not disembark) and ferry flights (return of with crew without passengers).
Thessaloniki International Airport is one of two Aegean Airlines hubs, along with Athens International Airport. After the latest announcement, several busy routes have been interrupted with regular services to and from destinations including Munich, Moscow, and Tel Aviv affected.
Like most other airlines globally, Aegean Airlines has been forced to adapt in novel ways to cope with the COVID crisis. In March, it refitted an Airbus A321 into a cargo plane to deliver crucial supplies. However, the airline has been forced to downsize in recent months by pulling out of Croatia and putting to bed rumors of a Croatia Airlines takeover.
Greece enters a 'mini-lockdown' for a month
While Thessaloniki gets used to life under stricter lockdown conditions, the entire country has entered into a partial lockdown for a month. The nationwide 'mini-lockdown' came into effect this Tuesday, forcing businesses, including restaurants, bars, cinemas, and gyms, to close for at least a month.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis stressed the importance of taking action now to avoid a critical overload on health infrastructure,
“That is why we must act now. Now. Before the Intensive Care Units buckle under the weight of endangered lives. Now. Where we have the ability to detect and track cases.”
Measures in Thessaloniki are sterner than the rest of the country, with residents required to send an SMS message each time they leave their home for essential reasons only. Additionally, a curfew will be in effect from 21.00 to 05.00 for high-risk areas like Thessaloniki, alongside a national lockdown from 00.00 to 05.00.