British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

(asked on 20th April 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many flights the Government has sponsored in response to the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Nigel Adams Portrait
Nigel Adams
This question was answered on 27th April 2020

The British Government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights to priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers. Through the work that our teams have done with airlines or foreign governments to keep vital routes open we estimate that over 1.3 million people have returned to the UK via commercial routes since the outbreak began.

As of 0800 on 27 April, more than 18,630 people on 90 flights organised by the British Government have been brought back from 20 different countries and territories. The Government has also assisted more than 19,000 passengers on board cruise ships to return home, either by providing consular assistance, or by working with local authorities and cruise operators to allow ships to dock.

Reticulating Splines