Strikes & Alerts

GENERAL NEWS

• BELGIUM — From April 7 to 10, 2026, De Lijn’s bus and tram services throughout Flanders will experience significant disruptions due to planned strikes against further budget cuts.
• CAMBODIA — A visa exemption policy for Chinese citizens will be piloted from June 15 to October 15, 2026.
• BARCELONA — Starting in April 2026, the tourist tax will increase dramatically. The region of Catalonia and the city of Barcelona will significantly raise tourist fees beginning April 1, 2026. Both the regional and municipal fees will be raised, thereby increasing the total tax per night depending on the accommodation category. Especially in higher-end hotels, the burden will be greater in the future and could reach up to 15 euros per night per guest in Barcelona.

AIR TRANSPORT

• AUSTRIA — Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Erbil, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat, and Tehran until October 25; flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31.
• BELGIUM — Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Erbil, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat, and Tehran until October 25; flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv until May 31.
• BULGARIA – Burgas Airport will be closed for six months during the winter season due to major runway renovation work; flights are scheduled to resume on May 1.
• BULGARIA — November 11, 2025 – April 30, 2026 – Burgas BOJ Airport will be closed for six months during the winter season for major runway renovation work. Flights are scheduled to resume on May 1, 2026.
• ITALY — Due to the unstable situation, ITA Airways has extended the suspension of flights to and from Riyadh and Tel Aviv through April 30 and to Dubai through May 31, 2026.
• HAITI — American Airlines will no longer resume its daily service from Miami to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. American had initially suspended flights through February 12, 2024. The suspension is now indefinite.
• CANADA — Due to the military situation in the Middle East, all Air Canada flights to and from Dubai have been canceled through April 30, 2026, while flights to Tel Aviv have been canceled through May 2, 2026
• DENMARK (Copenhagen) — All SAS Scandinavian Airlines flights on the Copenhagen-Sarajevo route from April 12 to 29 have been canceled. Service is expected to resume at a later date.
• FLORIDA — American Airlines aims to resume flights to Venezuela as early as April 30, 2026. The airline will offer daily service between Miami and Caracas.
• HUNGARY — Hungarian low-cost giant Wizz Air has further extended the suspension of flights

RAIL TRANSPORT

• ITALY — The Rome-Florence high-speed line will undergo major infrastructure upgrades from midnight on Saturday, April 11, 2026, to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
• BEIJING — The Bajiao Amusement Park station on Beijing Metro Line 1 will be closed from June 2 to May 2, 2027, for construction work at the station. Trains will pass through the station without stopping.
• BELGIUM — The ASTB train drivers’ union has announced major strike plans for the coming months. Train drivers plan to strike for six consecutive days in April 2026. Starting in May, there will be two weeks of strikes per month, while in July and August, strikes will take place every Friday and Saturday.
• FRANCE — The Sud-Rail union has filed a strike notice for the period from June 12 to September 1, 2026.

ETA – Electronic Travel Authorization for travel to the United Kingdom

Starting from April 2, 2025, the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) will be mandatory for European citizens entering the United Kingdom. The ETA has been in effect in the UK since January 8, 2025, for citizens of 49 non-European countries, including the United States and Japan. This measure is one of the anticipated consequences of Brexit.

How to Apply for the ETA

• Complete the application form through the UK ETA app or the UK government website:
• Passport copy
• A clear, front-facing passport photo without glasses

Validity
The ETA is valid for 2 years, linked to the expiry of the passport. If the passport expires before the 2 years, the ETA will no longer be valid. A new ETA will need to be applied for and linked to the new passport number.
The ETA allows for multiple entries over 2 years with a maximum cumulative stay of 180 days per year.

Cost
The application fee is £10 (approximately €12), which can be paid through the UK ETA app or online via GOV.UK. Other websites may charge higher fees.

Who Does Not Need an ETA

• Irish citizens
• Those entering the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man
• Europeans with permanent residence permits in the UK
• Those holding settled or pre-settled status

It is important to note that the ETA is not required for passengers only transiting through the UK, provided they remain within the international zone of the airport and have a passport from an eligible ETA nationality.
For individuals with passports from other nationalities, a consular visa may be required, even for transits, but each case should be checked individually.

Nationalities for which ETA is Already Mandatory
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British overseas citizens), Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Taiwan (if holding a passport issued by Taiwan that includes the identity card number issued by the competent authority of Taiwan), Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay.

Nationalities for which ETA Will Be Mandatory from April 2, 2025
(permits are already available)
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City, Hungary.

All information available at this link (Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – GOV.UK).

Important update on Air India’s refund policy for delayed flights:

For Cari travel partner flight delays, Air India is committed to providing the most up-to-date information regarding policies and procedures. Air India will no longer offer full refunds for flight delays where the delay is 60 minutes (for domestic flights) and 20 minutes (for international flights), except in cases where the delay meets the specific criteria outlined by DGCA. specific criteria outlined by DGCA.
For detailed information on DGCA’s guidelines on passenger rights, please refer to DGCA’s official website: Home | Directorate General of Civil Aviation | Government of India

Ryanair: Major change at check-in.

CEO Michael O’Leary has announced plans to eliminate dedicated airport check in counters within the next 6 months. Without ticket counters, it will no longer be possible to check in directly at the airport, a procedure that is now only disincentivized through the imposition of a penalty of up to 55 euros.