Thousands of UK-India passengers hit as Turkmenistan Airlines is grounded
Passengers on Turkmenistan Airlines flights between the UK and India have been told the carrier has been grounded on safety reasons.
The European Aviation Safety Agency suspended permission for it to fly in the European Union, leading the Civil Aviation Authority to ground the airline’s UK flights from Birmingham and Heathrow to Amritsar and Heathrow-New Delhi, via Ashgabat.
A Turkmenistan Airlines flight due in to Birmingham at 5.40pm today has been cancelled.
A spokesperson for the CAA said: "Turkmenistan Airline flights from Birmingham and Heathrow to Amritsar, and Heathrow to New Delhi – which fly via Ashgabat – are suspended with immediate effect.
"The UK Civil Aviation Authority is required under European law to withdraw Turkmenistan Airlines’ permit to operate to the UK pending EASA’s restoration of their approval that it meets international air safety standards."
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said the EASA suspended the flights to and from the EU ‘pending confirmation that it meets international air safety standards’.
It has advised passengers to contact the airline for further advice.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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