Argentina will resume commercial international flights from November and allowtourists to enter from bordering countries, the government saidon Friday, as it aims to lift coronavirus restrictions after oneof the strictest lockdowns in the world.
Since April, most air traffic has been grounded, with theexception of special outgoing flights for residents and citizensof specified countries, including the United States, andincoming flights for Argentines.
The government extended the lockdown, including the flightban, several times, prompting criticism from the Airlineindustry group IATA.
In its official bulletin on Friday, Argentina said regularinternational commercial flights for all airlines that operatein Argentina will resume. Only Argentina’s citizens andresidents and tourists from neighboring countries will beallowed to enter.
Those tourists will be allowed into Buenos Aires under ahealth protocol that includes a negative test for the newcoronavirus before the flight and travelers must submit a swornstatement that they are free of symptoms.
“It is appropriate to promote the resumption ofinternational flights on a regular basis in favor of airlinesthat operate to and from our country, to give certainty andpredictability to both passengers and operations, strictlyrespecting entry restrictions into the country,” the resolutionby the Ministry of Transportation said.
Argentina has suffered more than 30,000 deaths from COVID-19and more than 1.1 million infections. Cases have continued torise as the government eases restrictions after months ofquarantine and economic shutdown.(
