Temporary closings/Delays

Brazil: Air Traffic System in Chaos

Date: July 25th, 2007 |

A deadly plane crash in Sao Paulo July 17 confirmed the danger of Congonhas airport’s short runway and a few days later a radar outage over the Amazon created havoc in Brazil’s airspace, forcing 20 international flights to divert to other airports or return to their points of origin. For the next three days more [read more]

Austria and Czech Republic: Border Crossing Blockades

Date: May 23rd, 2007 |

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Austrian anti-nuclear protesters have repeatedly blocked border crossings with the Czech Republic over complaints that a nuclear power plant at Temelin, Czech Republic, is unsafe. Activists claim that the Czech government has not fulfilled conditions agreed to between the two countries in 2000 to allow the plant to go into operation, and have demanded that [read more]

Argentina: Buses Stop Running at Night to Protest Economic Woes

Date: May 9th, 2007 |

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Transport companies that operate public buses in metropolitan Buenos Aires have suspended service between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in a move to press the government to do something about the current economic crisis. They claim that the depressed economy is making their business untenable. The suspension could be indefinite and will place heavier [read more]

Bolivia: Bolivian Airline Suspended

Date: April 11th, 2007 |

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Bolivia’s head of transportation suspended the operations of the airline Lloyd Aereo Boliviano because of the company’s frequent flight cancellations and shaky finances. This move has led to travel disruptions and missed flight connections. It is unclear if or when the airline will be permitted to resume o [read more]

Puerto Rico: Montserrat Volcano Disrupts Flights

Date: March 14th, 2007 |

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Ash from the Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat disrupted air traffic to Puerto Rico March 10, causing cancellation of four Delta Airlines flights in San Juan and many flights by several airlines in Ponce on the south side of the island. Ash from the volcano often clouds the Caribbean sky but seldom affects flights. Its [read more]

Australia: Aboriginal Elders Threaten to Ban Tourists from Uluru

Date: June 27th, 2007 |

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The sacred Aboriginal site of Uluru, or Ayers Rock, may be off limits to tourists if Aboriginal elders follow through on their threat to ban visitors on the landmark in protest of a new federal government policy. The government plans to clamp down on child abuse in some 70 Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory [read more]

Tibet: China Restricts Foreign Tourists

Date: May 16th, 2007 |

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Visiting Tibet is more complicated now that Chinese authorities have imposed new restrictions on foreigners following a protest by five Americans who unfurled a banner at the Mt. Everest base camp. Tourists can no longer travel independently outside Lhasa, and all permits for travel to Tibet now must be approved by the Tibetan Travel Bureau’s [read more]

Sri Lanka: Colombo Airport Closes at Night

Date: May 9th, 2007 |

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Colombo’s international airport will be closed at night from the hours of 10:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. for at least three months because of the threat of air raids by Tamil Tiger rebels. The separatist group that has been fighting the government for more than two decades has launched four nighttime air attacks on military [read more]

Brazil: Air Traffic System Breaks Down Again

Date: March 21st, 2007 |

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Brazil’s troubled air traffic control system failed again March 18, causing lengthy flight delays and stranding thousands of travelers. First, communications equipment failed at a control center in Brasilia, then power went out at Brasilia’s airport, compounding the problem. Some 30 percent of flights scheduled for takeoff March 19 were delayed, with troubles spilling over [read more]

Italy: Soccer Hooliganism Prompts Empty Stadiums

Date: February 14th, 2007 |

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Following the killing of a policeman by a soccer hooligan Feb. 2, Italian officials suspended games but later permitted them to be played to empty stadiums until anti-fan-violence measures are put in place. These measures were passed into law in 2005 but never strictly enforced until now. Some stadiums have complied and others are scrambling [read more]