Stranded Swiss to be brought back home from South America

Two charter flights have been arranged to repatriate some 630 Swiss citizens trapped in Peru and Colombia by coronavirus restrictions. The Swiss foreign ministry has urged the estimated tens of thousands of Swiss travelers still abroad to get in contact via a special app. Two planes have been chartered from Edelweiss, part of Swiss International Air Lines, to fly to Lima and Bogota on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Arrangements are also being made for 100 citizens to be brought back from Costa Rica. “Over the last few days, the FDFA [foreign ministry], together with tour operators and travel associations, has been intensively searching for ways to reach blocked tourists in order to bring them back to Switzerland. Thanks to the proven collaboration with SWISS and Edelweiss, an initial solution has been found for Latin America,” read a statement. The government has pre-financed the flights but passengers will have to pay for their individual tickets, bearing part of the costs. ...