Passengers in Madrid scramble back to U.S. on last day of flight operations

Record ID: 1463960

  • Title: Passengers in Madrid scramble back to U.S. on last day of flight operations
  • Date: 13th March 2020
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) LONG QUEUE OF PASSENGERS AT CHECK IN COUNTER AMERICAN AIRLINES SIGN PASSENGER WEARING MASK PASSENGERS QUEUING AIRPORT SCREENS AIRPORT SCREEN SHOWING FLIGHT TO DALLAS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) STUDENT FROM SPAIN, LUCY, SAYING: "I understand that this decision had to be taken, but it would have been better that they would have taken it a bit more in advance, because at the end a lot of people have remained without flights, I myself had to change flight, I lost the money for that one, I had to buy a new one. Things can't be done like this." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER FROM TEXAS, LUCIE, SAYING: "Yes, I was supposed to come back in June and I came back today instead." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PASSENGER FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, LUCIE, SAYING: "The truth is that we must take the measures imposed. Does it affect lots of people? Well, yes. My husband already had a prepaid ticket for a specific date, and so now let's see if they let us pass security." AIRPORT SCREENS VARIOUS OF SCREEN SHOWING INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS ARRIVING FROM CORONAVIRUS AFFECTED AREAS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PASSENGER, JUAN, SAYING: "A bit panicked by the situation, but it's what it is, let us face it with the best safety." AIRPORT SCREENS PASSENGERS QUEUING PASSENGERS PASSING CHECK IN COUNTER PASSENGERS QUEUING PASSENGERS PASSING CHECK IN COUNTER PASSENGER WEARING MASK PASSENGERS QUEUING AMERICAN AIRLINES CHECK IN COUNTERS VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS QUEUING AT AMERICAN AIRLINES CHECK IN COUNTER VARIOUS OF ENTRANCE TO AIRPORT VARIOUS OF TAXIS AND CARS DRIVING AWAY FROM AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2020 09:26
  • Keywords: Madrid airport Spain coronavirus outbreak travel ban
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • City: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001C4VY6H3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Passengers travelling back to the United States scrambled at check in points at Madrid's Barajas airport on Friday (March 13), the last day of air operations between continental Europe and the United States following a travel ban announced by US President Donald Trump over coronavirus.
    Travellers at the airport said the ban has affected them a lot, with some having to cut their trip short and buy new tickets to the United States on very short notice.
    President Donald Trump on Wednesday (March 11) imposed sweeping restrictions to prevent people from 26 European countries from travelling to the United States for a month as he responded to mounting pressure to take action against the spread of the coronavirus.
    The president took the dramatic step in a somber Oval Office speech as he battled to address the health and economic shocks to Americans from the sometimes-fatal virus and responded to criticism he has not taken the threat seriously enough.
    (Production: Julien Hennequin, Miguel Gutierrez, May Ponzo)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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