KLM will not operate its flights to Las Vegas, Miami and Orlando after the Dutch government has classified the US as a “very high risk area”.
The move means that unvaccinated US travelers are now effectively banned from entering the Netherlands, while fully vaccinated travelers must be quarantined for ten days upon arrival.
KLM is scheduled to fly from Amsterdam to US cities between October 31, 2021 and March 26, 2022 in winter, but has removed the routes from its flight plans “until further notice” and will inform customers from this week onwards.
The airline described the decision of the Dutch government as “a big step backwards”.
“Health and the fight against COVID-19 are of the utmost importance, but the measures taken must be effective and proportionate,” the airline said. “It looks like other EU member states like Italy, France and Belgium are not going to put a triple lock on the door of travelers from the US.”
Last week the European Union released its latest review of travel restrictions for the bloc which found:
“Following a review of the Recommendation on the gradual lifting of temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU, the Council has updated the list of countries, special administrative regions and other entities and local authorities for which travel restrictions should be lifted.
“In particular, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United States of America were removed from the list.”
klm.com
