BA suspends flights due to Ebola virus
British Airways has suspended flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia in the wake of the Ebola outbreak which has killed more than 880 people.
The airline operates four flights a week between London’s Heathrow Airport and Monrovia, Liberia, with a stopover in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The service will be temporarily suspended until August 31 and customers are being offered a refund or the ability to re-book.
Britons in or travelling to these countries should ensure they have adequate arrangements in place for onward travel or to leave, advised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
BA said: "The safety of our customers, crew and ground teams is always our top priority and we will keep the routes under constant review in the coming weeks."
It advised customers that they could re-book to a later date on a British Airways flight to/from Liberia or Sierra Leone from September 1.
Alternatively passengers can re-book with British Airways on its flights in August between London and Abuja, Lagos, Accra or Nairobi. But the airline said the journey between Liberia or Sierra Leone to/from these four African cities would be at the customer’s own expense.
"Customers who are in Liberia or Sierra Leone can contact the following travel agents for help with their bookings," BA added.
Emirates became the first major international airline to cancel flights to Ebola-hit countries late last week, suspending its service to Guinea.
The FCO is assuring the British public that it is taking the appropriate steps to stop the Ebola threat should an infected traveller arrive at the UK border.
It said on its website: ‘Border Force has been working closely with Public Health England and other agencies to ensure staff are prepared to deal with the threat of the Ebola virus.
‘As part of this planning, guidance has been issued to front line staff on how to identify and safely deal with suspected cases of Ebola that makes clear what steps need to be taken should a passenger arrive at the border unwell.’
Ebola, which is spread by close contact with organs or bodily fluids from an infected person or animal, causes haemorrhagic fever which kills as many as 60 to 80% of the people it infects in Africa.
Diane
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