(TAN): Argentina has banned ticket sales for all domestic and international passenger flights until September 1 in a bid to slow the spread of the pandemic, reports said.
The administration reportedly warned that airlines ignoring the rules will be fined. However, flights involved in transporting cargo and repatriation of citizens are exempt from the ban, a report said.
While the South American nation closed its borders to non-residents in March and imposed strict quarantine rules, the latest move is thought to be one of the most stringent COVID-19 travel bans in the world, as per reports.
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Although several Latin American countries including Ecuador, Peru and Colombia have reportedly banned all commercial flights for now, none of them have extended their bans to the next four months. On the other hand, though some countries such as the United States, Canada and Brazil have laid down restrictions, they have not declared total ban on flight operations, a report said.
The new measure, issued by the National Civil Aviation Administration earlier this week, forbade the sale of tickets for commercial flights to, from or within Argentina, reports said. The body reportedly added that the order aimed to stop airlines from selling tickets for flights not approved by the federal authorities.
“The problem was that airlines were selling tickets without having authorisation to travel to Argentine soil,” Argentinian President Alberto Fernández’s spokesperson was quoted by The New York Times as saying.
According to reports, industry groups have criticised the move, saying it could put a lot of pressure on airlines and airports, resulting in thousands of people losing their jobs.
Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association, which lobbies on behalf of Latin American and Caribbean airlines, warned against the “imminent and substantial risks” of such a step. It said the resolution was not just putting “thousands of jobs” at risk but also Argentina’s connectivity with the world “under threat”.
“We understand the complex situation that the government is faced with and that its number one priority is to guarantee the health and safety of the population. However, we see it as our responsibility to express the industry’s deep concern regarding this resolution, especially since no consultation took place,” the nonprofit said in a statement.
“…many companies in the sector will not be able to survive if this resolution is implemented as planned. Therefore, we reiterate our call for a timely dialogue with the relevant authorities in order to ensure the survival of the sector, in support of the country’s overall socio-economic wellbeing,” it added.
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But Argentinian President’s spokesperson reportedly said that the decision was taken after a “consensus between the government and the airline sector” was reached, and that the airlines had agreed on the September 1 timeline.
Data from Johns Hopkins University showed Argentina has reported 4,127 cases so far, of which 207 have died.
