Travel news: Storms and staff shortages disrupt spring break plans

By James M. Everett Last updated Apr 9, 2022

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(CNN) — Staff shortages and storms are significantly disrupting spring getaway plans in the United States and Europe, but on the bright side, dozens of destinations are finally seeing a drop in their Covid-19 infection rates.

Here’s what’s been happening in the travel news this week.

Travel Chaos in Europe

There have been major disruptions at airports across Britain this week. Covid-related staff shortages have led to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations, with British Airways and easyJet customers being the worst hit. The nation is in the middle of the Easter holiday season and the problems are expected to continue for weeks to come.

There was a sharp rise in Covid infections in the UK after restrictions were lifted in early March, although this has started to decline. British Airways, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic are among the UK airlines that have relaxed their mask mandates.

There was further misfortune when the Spanish UK Tourist Board apologized for falsely stating on April 6 that unvaccinated British citizens could now enter Spain without restriction. This was due to misinterpretation by the Tourist Board – so it’s not just us civilians on the ground who are confused about the governments Covid rules.

Staff shortages have also led to huge security lines at Ireland’s Dublin Airport, with passengers now advised show up three and a half hours before their flight. Things got so bad over the weekend of March 26 that passengers reported missing their flights after spending more than two hours going through security.

Covid rates and restrictions

There was good news elsewhere, however, as more than two dozen destinations, including Canada and several Caribbean countries, saw their risk levels drop on the state Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel advisory list. -United.

Back to Anthony Bourdain

A new documentary from CNN Films and HBO Max about Anthony Bourdain will air on CNN this Sunday, April 10.

“Roadrunner” chronicles Bourdain’s journey from New York chef to acclaimed author and beloved television personality. It also reflects his suicide in 2018 at the age of 61. CNN Travel spoke with director Morgan Neville about what he learned about Bourdain while making the film.

CNN Audio has also turned Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” travel series into a podcast. New episodes drop weekly, with the latest release being a 2015 trip to Marseille, France’s oldest city.

Aviation news

A render showing Condor’s new candy-colored striped aircraft.

Condor

China is getting into the hypersonic flight game with a new plane from Beijing-based Space Transportation, which hopes to carry passengers at twice the speed of Concorde by the 2030s.

If it works, that means Shanghai to New York in just a few hours.

Meanwhile in Costa Rica, a plane slid off the runway and split in two.

World’s largest plane destroyed

A CNN crew saw the wreckage of the world’s largest plane for the first time after the Russian military withdrew from a strategic airfield outside kyiv.

New images show the full extent of damage to the Antonov An-225, the world’s largest commercial aircraft. It was destroyed in late February when Russian troops seized an airfield near kyiv which was one of the first strategic targets of their invasion of Ukraine.

In case you missed it

Before you think “karaoke and Prosecco”, note that it’s alcohol-free and tech-free.

Think you can maneuver a 300 meter (984 foot) vessel through rough seas and narrow waterways?

Where the journey is part of the adventure.

Get ready, travel

Packing for the holidays can take a lot of preparation, and even more so if you’re currently carrying an extra passenger.

Our partners at CNN Underscored, a CNN-owned product review and recommendation guide, have put together this checklist of travel essentials if you, or someone you know, are flying while pregnant.

Top image: Travelers sit outside the Covid-19 testing center in Terminal 3 at London Heathrow Airport on April 6, 2022. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)