Holiday plans lie in tatters as UK flights to Mexico are cancelled

Published on Tuesday 28 April 2009 23:00

THOUSANDS of Britons' holiday plans were dashed yesterday after tour operators cancelled all UK flights to Mexico for the coming week.

All the major package holiday firms scrapped scheduled flights from UK airports after the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advised against all but essential travel to the crisis-hit country.

Seasonal flights were due to start from Glasgow Airport to Cancun on Friday, with a second on Monday, but these have been cancelled, along with those from London and Manchester.

However, empty planes are continuing to fly to Mexico to bring back some of the estimated 14,000 British tourists holidaying there.

Many wearing masks over their mouths and noses, travellers were yesterday waiting for flights out of the capital at Mexico City's international airport,

Some tourists were deciding to cut their holidays short for fear of falling ill, although tour operators say there have been no signs so far of a mass exodus of tourists.

While Asian countries deployed thermal sensors at airports to screen passengers, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirmed there were currently no plans for routine screening of passengers arriving at UK airports from Mexico.

An HPA spokesman defended the decision, saying: "Passengers will be exposed to information and advice when they get off the plane. If they have symptoms they should go and see their doctor or call NHS Direct."

Among holidaymakers who arrived at airports around the UK yesterday morning only to be told they could no longer fly to Mexico were honeymoon couple Faye and Russ Cavis from Leeds. "We were expecting it but we were just hopeful everything would still be okay," said Mrs Cavis.

"We were a bit frightened about going, there's been so much on the news. It's the poor people in Mexico I feel sorry for – it must be horrendous."

Brian Potter, convener of the Scottish Passengers Agents' Association, said it was likely that tour operators would continue to cancel their flights as long as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continued to advise against travel to Mexico.

Meanwhile, many passengers returning to the UK from Mexico arrived wearing masks.

Alex Madon met his wife Damrys and their baby daughter Natalie, who was wearing a face mask, at Heathrow's Terminal Five yesterday afternoon.

The 40-year-old greeted them by grabbing his daughter and sobbing: "I'm so glad they're back. I've been so worried about them. I'm so glad she's all right."

Thomson Airways has suspended flights to Cancun and Cozumel, up to and including 8 May.

Thomas Cook Airlines, which takes Thomas Cook and Airtours holidaymakers to Mexico, suspended flights for the next seven days.

Passengers whose holidays have been cancelled are being given the option of a refund, choosing another destination, or postponing their trips.

The tour operators confirmed there were currently no plans to lay on extra flights to bring back holidaymakers early from Mexico.

Although tour operators have cancelled all flights, other airlines, including British Airways and KLM, are so far continuing to fly to Mexico from UK airports.

People who no longer want to go can postpone their travel or chose an alternative destination, but cannot claim a refund.

VIRUS CASES ACROSS THE WORLD

UK

2 confirmed- Scotland

23 suspected Scotland and 7 in Wiltshire

IRISH REPUBLIC

2 suspected

MEXICO

152 deaths (20 confirmed)

1,600 suspected

US

64 confirmed

CANADA

13 confirmed

DENMARK

11 suspected

NORWAY

1 suspected

SWEDEN

5 suspected

GERMANY

3 suspected

SOUTH KOREA

1 suspected

ISRAEL

2 confirmed, 1 suspected

SPAIN

2 confirmed, 32 suspected

FRANCE

20 suspected

SWITZERLAND

9 suspected

AUSTRIA

5 suspected

AUSTRALIA

89 suspected

NEW ZEALAND

3 confirmed

8 more suspected

Mexico's hectic bustle changes to eerie hush as people retreat to quiet refuge

LIFE in the usually hectic capital city of Mexico had taken on an eerie hush yesterday as residents tried to avoid infection from swine flu.

With the disease continuing to spread around the world, Mexico City remained the epicentre of the crisis and the number of deaths rose to 152.

Around the world, the number of countries with confirmed cases rose to seven, and America's toll of infected patients increased to 64.

Cases of the flu were confirmed in the Middle East and South Pacific.

Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general of the World Health Organisation, said: "At this time, containment is not a feasible option."

In Mexico, dubbed "ground zero" of the crisis, officials worked frantically to try to prevent mass contagion.

School attendance was cancelled nationwide until 6 May, and a complete shutdown of public transport was being considered by Mexico City.

Mexico City's traditional 1 May parade, and the Cinco de Mayo parade – celebrating the country's victory over a French army on 5 May, 1862 – were cancelled. More than 100 museums were closed and football games were played without spectators.

Many residents wore blue surgical masks and many restaurants, bars, cinemas, stadiums and government offices were shut to stop the infection spreading.

People stocked up on food, water, rental movies and surgical masks, and some opted to work from home.

Facing damage to tourism and trade, in the face of the existing global economic meltdown, Mexico said it would not order a mass closure of businesses to try to contain the infection. "Economic activity must continue," Labour Minister Javier Lozano said.

Schools closed in US as a precaution

BY LAST night 64 cases had been confirmed in the United States. Non-essential travel to Mexico was discouraged and people arriving from there were questioned at the border. Some schools in New York, Texas, California, South Carolina and Ohio were closed. "We are preparatory to a full pandemic," said Homeland Security.

New Zealand says 3 people infected

NEW Zealand reported that three people who recently returned from Mexico had contracted the virus.

Tests confirmed three cases of swine flu among 11 members of the group who were showing symptoms.

Officials decided that was evidence enough to assume the whole group was infected.

Two confirmed with disease in Israel

ISRAEL has confirmed two cases of swine flu.

One victim was a 26-year-old patient in the Israeli city of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, who recently returned from Mexico. The other was a 47-year-old man who returned from Mexico three days ago. Both are expected to make a full recovery.

SARS memory has Asia concerned

GOVERNMENTS in Asia were being especially cautious yesterday. Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines dusted off thermal scanners used in the 2003 SARS crisis and were checking for signs of fever among passengers from North America. South Korea, India and Indonesia also announced screening.

Australia has 89 suspected cases

THERE were reports of 89 suspected cases of the virus in Australia yesterday.

Since midnight on Monday, airlines servicing Australia from the Americas have been required to report any passengers with flu-like symptoms before being cleared to land at local airports.

Village 'pinpointed as Mexico source'

THERE has been speculation that a Mexican village close to a pig farm could be the source of the swine flu. Many residents of the village in the southeastern state of Veracruz say they have fallen ill. But the World Health Organisation said it was too early to know where the outbreak started.