Two charter flights have been arranged to repatriate some 630 Swiss citizens trapped in Peru and Colombia by coronavirus restrictions. The Swiss foreign ministry has urged the estimated tens of thousands of Swiss travelers still abroad to get in contact via a special app.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Español
es
Berna repatriará a unos 630 suizos desde América Latina
Two planes have been chartered from Edelweiss, part of Swiss International Air Lines, to fly to Lima and Bogota on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Arrangements are also being made for 100 citizens to be brought back from Costa Rica.
“Over the last few days, the FDFA [foreign ministry], together with tour operators and travel associations, has been intensively searching for ways to reach blocked tourists in order to bring them back to Switzerland. Thanks to the proven collaboration with SWISS and Edelweiss, an initial solution has been found for Latin America,” read a statementExternal link.
The government has pre-financed the flights but passengers will have to pay for their individual tickets, bearing part of the costs.
The foreign ministry has sent out an appeal for all Swiss travelers to get in contact via its Travel Admin AppExternal link. Only 7,710 of the “several tens of thousands” of Swiss tourists abroad have so far submitted their name, contact number and place of stay.
“This is the only way we can get a good picture of the situation in the world,” said Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis. “This will enable support to be provided more quickly and in a more targeted manner.” People using the app are also urged to cancel their registrations once they return home.
Over the last weeks, Switzerland has cooperated with other countries, such as France and Germany, to repatriate citizens trapped abroad by the pandemic. Further flights are being planned.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
Luxury heir claims his CHF11 billion Hermès fortune has vanished
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Swiss investigate four people linked to Russian oligarch
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is investigating four individuals linked to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.
Swiss government scrambles to deal with egg shortage
This content was published on
From September 1, more eggs intended for consumption may be imported into Switzerland. In allowing this, the government wants to secure the supply of eggs for consumers.
This content was published on
Agricultural research sees new development opportunities for Swiss sparkling wines in the face of declining wine consumption. In a survey, half of consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for local products than for foreign ones.
Locarno spotlights filmmakers from South America and Caribbean
This content was published on
The Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival has named the winners for 2024. The spotlight is on the South American and Caribbean regions.
Storm paralyses trains to popular Swiss tourist resort
This content was published on
The railway line between Zweilütschinen and Grindelwald in central Switzerland is expected to remain closed until Friday following heavy rains.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss citizens repatriated from Wuhan arrive in France
This content was published on
A plane carrying five Swiss nationals and three of their Chinese family members from Wuhan has arrived near Marseille in France.
Airline Swiss suspends all flights to China until end of March
This content was published on
SWISS has now suspended all flights to and from China until March 28 due to the coronavirus. It will use smaller planes to fly to and from Hong Kong.
Swiss nationals in China feel lost in coronavirus outbreak
This content was published on
A group of Swiss nationals in China have sent a letter to the Swiss government complaining that they feel forgotten by Swiss authorities.
This content was published on
A further five Swiss citizens and two of their Chinese relatives have been flown out of the Wuhan region, the hub of the coronavirus, SRF says.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.