Austrian Airlines has been forced to cancel scheduled flights after the Austrian government extended bans on aircraft arriving from the UK and Sweden and imposed new restrictions on flights from other countries.
Austria’s ministry of health issued revised bans on landing at Austrian airports from July 16 forcing the cancellations until at least the end of the month.
Lufthansa Group subsidiary Austrian Airlines said it had been compelled to cancel “numerous flights”.
No regular services will be permitted to land in Austria from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Egypt, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania or Serbia.
Existing landing bans on aircraft from the UK, Sweden and the Ukraine have also been extended.
The cancellations extend to all flights between Vienna and Belgrade, Bucharest, Cairo, Kyiv, London, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Sibiu, Skopje, Sofia, Stockholm, Tirana and Varna.
In a statement, Austian Airlines said: “The landing bans will also impact the remaining Austrian Airlines route network, due to the fact that the affected routes are frequented by many passengers in transfer.”
The airline’s chief commercial officer Andreas Otto said: “We advocate a uniform and stable travel policy within the EU.
“We understand health is a top priority in the current situation. However, cross-the-board travel bans for entire countries, with extremely short notice, are an enormous challenge.”
Otto warned the bans threaten “Vienna’s position as a flight hub” and said: “Business travellers and other transfer passengers will find alternative ways of getting to long-haul destinations.”
The carrier advised passengers with cancelled flights that they can re-book up to the end of 2021 or seek a cash refund online.