Covid rates surge in popular holiday destinations as flight cancellations continue

Irish holidaymakers heading to popular summer destinations overseas could be facing into potential Covid-19 chaos as cases surge in popular holiday regions, and flights are also cancelled due to rising infections. 

Popular holiday destinations including Spain, Portugal, France, Greece and Italy and France are experiencing a dramatic rise of the highly infectious BA.5 and BA.4 Covid-19 variants.

Cases in Spain have risen by 204pc in  the last fortnight alone.

However, there was some good news as Portugal, which was the first European country to be hit by the surge,  is now over the worst. It has seen its incidence rate fall -43pc in the past fortnight, to 1,047. 

France has suffered an 85pc spike in infections in a fortnight.

The UK was also up 12pc for its 14 day incidence rate. 

The rising Covid-19 figures come during a difficult time for air travel due to staff absenteeism, in part due to the pandemic levels, and also due to staff having left for other employment during lockdowns and difficulties being encountered hiring new staff. 

Covid-19 and industrial action by baggage handlers have been among a number of factors which have caused delays and flights to be cancelled in recent weeks. 

Aer Lingus confirmed on Sunday alone that two return flights from Dublin were cancelled because of Covid-19, while another return flight was cancelled due to technical issues.

Two return flights to Frankfurt and Prague respectively, were cancelled due to staff Covid-related illness while a return flight to Philadelphia was cancelled due to the technical issues.