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UK Foreign Office charging stranded Brits up to £800 for repatriation flights
| Published: | 13 Apr at 6 PM |
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An estimated 300,000 Britons are still trapped overseas due to the pandemic, and are being forced to pay up to £800 for repatriation.
In spite of the British government’s promise to bring all expats home using repatriation flights, just 2,000 have been flown back to the UK during the past fortnight. According to the Foreign Office, the cost for a flight depends on the distance between London and trapped expats’ locations. Flights less than six hours’ flying time from Heathrow Airport will be charged at no more than £400, those between six and 10 hours’ flying time will cost £600 and those taking over 10 hours are being charged at £800.
The official Foreign Office line is that, as the UK government has committed just £75 million to assist many thousands of Brits to return home, those trapped overseas need to also contribute towards the cost of the rescue operation. It adds the charges are a reflection of just part of the total costs of each charter, possibly leaving frequent flyer expatriates to wonder why their charter flight charges are double or triple their original flight costs via a commercial airline.
The charter flights are only being provided from destinations without commercial flights to the UK, and potential passengers who can’t afford seats can request an emergency loan from the UK government. In addition, no solution as been provided for Britons stuck in destinations far from major airports, many of whom are prevented from travelling due to local government bans. Staff at British consulates told local media outlets they’re working on a solution to this issue involving local flights or other means of overland transport, adding they’ve no confirmed dates or routes as yet.
In spite of the British government’s promise to bring all expats home using repatriation flights, just 2,000 have been flown back to the UK during the past fortnight. According to the Foreign Office, the cost for a flight depends on the distance between London and trapped expats’ locations. Flights less than six hours’ flying time from Heathrow Airport will be charged at no more than £400, those between six and 10 hours’ flying time will cost £600 and those taking over 10 hours are being charged at £800.
The official Foreign Office line is that, as the UK government has committed just £75 million to assist many thousands of Brits to return home, those trapped overseas need to also contribute towards the cost of the rescue operation. It adds the charges are a reflection of just part of the total costs of each charter, possibly leaving frequent flyer expatriates to wonder why their charter flight charges are double or triple their original flight costs via a commercial airline.
The charter flights are only being provided from destinations without commercial flights to the UK, and potential passengers who can’t afford seats can request an emergency loan from the UK government. In addition, no solution as been provided for Britons stuck in destinations far from major airports, many of whom are prevented from travelling due to local government bans. Staff at British consulates told local media outlets they’re working on a solution to this issue involving local flights or other means of overland transport, adding they’ve no confirmed dates or routes as yet.
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