Airline Chaos

The View from Fez team have suffered major problems as part of the UK response to the possible attacks on aircraft. I was in the Republic of Ireland on the 10th and due to head back to Morocco at 6 in the morning. My Ryan Air flight to London Gatwick eventually took off at 4 in the afternoon and I arrived into the chaos in London only to find my Atlas Blue Flight had been cancelled.

The next problem was hotels. Every hotel was full with stranded passengers except the executive suite of the Sofitel. Ouch! 230 British pounds is a huge number of dirhams that could (should) have been spent on zellij or plaster or old beams for the Riad Zany restoration. But I needed sleep and time to figure out how to get back to Morocco.

In the night I decided to go overland. The Eurostar to France was booked out, and so I took an early train to Victoria Station and bought a ticket for Dover. Then a ferry to France and a train to Lille-Flandre where I changed to Lille-Europe and caught a TGV train to Bordeaux. I am now waiting in Lalinde for a flight to Marrakech on Tuesday and then a train ticket to Fez on Wednesday.

The plot in London may have been foiled by British police, but the cost is being felt by people like me around Europe.

AIRLINES BACK TO NORMAL

Moroccan carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM)has resumed its London and New York-bound flights from the international Mohamed V airport after they were canceled when British police said they had foiled a plot to attack transatlantic flights.

Security at Mohamed V airport has been tightened and liquid products were banned from carry-on luggage on flights to Britain and the United States.

Passengers are urged to come at least three hours before the departure of their flights towards Great Britain and North America.

Hopefully I will make it back and resume normal posting shortly after. Inshallah.

Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news