- Morocco bans flights to and from the UK over deteriorating COVID-19 situation in Great Britain
- British carrier EasyJet has cancelled outbound travel from UK to Morocco until November 30.
- Major British holiday operator TUI is working with customers to organize their departure from Morocco.
Moroccan government announced that all flights to and from the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany have been suspended effective midnight on Wednesday.
Government officials in Rabat said that the UK flights ban has been enacted due to the sharply rising number of new COVID-19 infection cases in Great Britain.
The move, which will take effect from 23:59GMT on Wednesday, has been confirmed by the Moroccan National Office of Airports, which warned that it will remain in place ‘until further notice.
The government’s decision to ban travel could impact families in England and Wales planning to travel to the popular tourist location for Britons during the half-term holidays, which begin next week.
British carrier EasyJet, which runs flights between Europe and Morocco, has cancelled outbound travel from the UK to Morocco until November 30.
EasyJet is in talks with the Moroccan government about offering repatriation flights for UK citizens who find themselves stuck abroad due to the restrictions.
Major holiday operator TUI has confirmed it has spoken with the Moroccan government about the move, and said the company is working with customers to organize their departure from the North African nation.
The decision to restrict travel between the UK and Morocco comes as British officials record over 40,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, and the country reported its highest single-day deaths from coronavirus since March.
In the past two weeks, the UK has reported more new COVID-19 cases than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined.
The head of the British umbrella group NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, has warned that the UK is “stumbling into a winter crisis,” leaving the health service “on the edge.”
However, the UK government has rejected calls to implement COVID-19 restrictions under its COVID ‘Plan B,’ ruling out any suggestion of a lockdown over the winter.
