The State Department is beginning to put together charter flights for Americans stranded overseas during the coronavirus pandemic, with Morocco and Peru scheduled soon — even as others stuck in Guatemala took matters into their own hands.
The rush to bring Americans home comes after the State Department announced a level four travel advisory Thursday, and amid reports of potentially thousands of Americans stuck in multiple countries without commercial flights or that had shut their borders.
The first flights out of Morocco, which closed its borders on March 14, started Friday morning, according to the U.S. embassy there. U.S. citizens are able to hop a flight from Marrakesh for $1,485. The flights will stop in London before landing in 10 different U.S. cities.
Stranded Americans — citizens and legal permanent residents only — must sign up by emailing [email protected]
Congressional offices were alerted of the flights Thursday night, according to one aide who received details via a State Department email.
Congressional staff also received an email saying that Avianca Airlines, a Colombian air carrier, has created an online page where the hundreds of Americans stranded in Peru can sign up for flights home.
Others, tired of waiting for the U.S. government to act, took matters into their own hands, in some cases crossing over the border from Guatemala into Mexico to catch flights that are still operating.
Two people stuck in Guatemala, which has also closed its borders to flights, told POLITICO that they had purchased tickets from Avianca this week which were canceled, and that the airline had ignored their calls afterward. Avianca did not respond to a request for comment.
President Donald Trump also said Thursday that the U.S. military is working on getting people out of Peru, but didn't mention any other countries specifically.
One group, who found each other online, had given up on the U.S. embassy and were discussing how to get rides to Tapachula Airport in southern Mexico, several told POLITICO. They asked for anonymity in order to discuss their situation openly.
They've been sharing information in a group chat about where to cross the border, how to get a reliable ride, and how much the trip costs — including both paying a driver and the possibility of having to pay off Mexican customs officers.
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March 20, 2020 at 08:26PM
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U.S. starts some repatriation flights for stranded Americans - POLITICO
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