Jet2 and TUI cancel flights to Spain after bars and restaurants close
Tim Hanlon
Europe;Europe
TUI and Jet2 have both canceled flights to Spain. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP

TUI and Jet2 have both canceled flights to Spain. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP

Flight company Jet2 has canceled holidays to Spain and turned around planes midflight after the country went  into partial lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Anglo-German company TUI has also said flights due to leave between 14 and 16 March won't be taking off.

In the latest blow for the travel industry, both Jet2 and TUI have said that they are stopping flights to Spain due to local measures being enforced to counter the spread of the virus including the closure of bars and restaurants.

It comes as the World Health Organization says that Europe is now the "epicenter" of the coronavirus outbreak with Italy the worst affected but the cases in Spain are growing rapidly.

Website FlightRadar24 showed at least six flights returning to the UK midflight on Saturday morning. TUI have followed Jet2 in cancelling holidays.

Jet2 stated: "In response to local measures introduced throughout Spain to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of bars, restaurants, shops and activities including any water sports, we have taken the decision to cancel all flights to Mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands with immediate effect.

"We know these local measures will have a significant impact on our customers' holidays, which is why we have taken this decision.

"We are contacting our customers who are currently in these destinations and who are due to travel, to advise them of their options, so we urge customers not to call us."

Spain reported a 50% jump in fatalities from coronavirus to 120, on Friday, while infections increased to 4,231.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said a state of alert will come into effect there on Saturday for two weeks.

A tourist outside Barcelona's Sagrada Familia wearing a mask. Josep Lago/AFP

A tourist outside Barcelona's Sagrada Familia wearing a mask. Josep Lago/AFP

TUI will provide updates for later trips.

It stated: "We have made the difficult decision to cancel holidays due to travel between 14 and 16 March.

"Although there is currently no advice from the UK Government against travelling to Spain it would not be the holiday experience we would want for our customers. We will proactively contact all customers due to travel to Alicante between 14 March and 16 March to offer alternative holiday options or offer full-refund.

"Any customers due to travel between 17 March and 23 March will be contacted about their holidays on Monday 16 March."