As of Wednesday, the Austrian government will also ban passenger flights that have started in South Africa. As the only non-stop provider currently affected, only Austrian Airlines is defacto affected. The flight ban on connections from the UK remains unchanged. This emerges from the NOTAM A3653 / 20.

Contrary to the announcement by Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg that no further landing bans will be issued, the Austrian government is now again using the ban on non-stop flights. Connections with a change, for example in Istanbul, Dubai or at other hubs, are not covered by the ban and can still be offered. This takes the ban ad absurdum, since passengers who are affected and actually want to fly can then simply be rebooked on an indirect flight connection.

A certain pressure is said to have come from Germany and Switzerland on Austria, because the Lufthansa Group reportedly rebooked passengers who wanted to travel from South Africa to Germany or Switzerland to Cape Town-Vienna, operated by Austrian Airlines. From the Austrian capital there are company-owned connections to the two neighboring countries. The German magazine “Der Spiegel” reports that so many people were able to enter Germany from South Africa through this “loophole”. Apparently the German government intervened in Vienna and gave way.

A mutation of the coronavirus was also found in South Africa shortly before Christmas. Allegedly it should be the same as in the UK. On December 22, 2020, Germany also imposed a landing ban for passenger flights that took off in South Africa. Without passengers or only loaded with cargo, the planes may continue to land in Germany or, from Wednesday, also in Austria. Further details on the exceptions can be found in the following NOTAM issued by the Republic of Austria:

"A3653 / 20 - COVID-19 / SARS-COV-2: FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS.

0) CHANGE LOG

0.1) VALIDITY EXTENDED

0.2) STATE LIST IN 1) REVISED.

1) ACCORDING TO PARA 25 EPIDEMIC ACT 1950 FLIGHTS FROM

1. UNITED KINGDOM

2. SOUTH AFRICA (FROM 2012300000 CET)

ARE PROHIBITED TO LAND AT FIR LOVV ..

2) EXEMPTED ARE: FLIGHTS IN THE INTEREST OF THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, CARGO FLIGHTS, EMERGENCY FLIGHTS, AMBULANCE FLIGHTS, FERRY FLIGHTS, REPATRIATION FLIGHTS, FLIGHTS TO TRANSPORT SEASONAL WORKERS IN THE AGRICULTURAL OR FORESTRY SECTOR AS WELLNELS.

3) INQUIRIES REGARDING EXEMPTIONS PPR 72 HOURS BEFORE ETD AT AACCC (AT) BMK.GV.AT.

4) EXEMPTIONS TO THIS PROHIBITATION OF LANDINGS DO NOT RELEASE PAX FROM ANY ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. 

28 DEC 21:34 2020 UNTIL 10 JAN 23:59 2021. CREATED: 28 DEC 21:36 2020 ″