44 South Africans have been stopped from boarding a repatriation flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town. Clearance needed to fly with passengers onboard had been denied to the KLM flight.

The passengers have been left stranded at Schiphol Airport since yesterday. DA MP and Home Away From Home’s Beverley Schafer, said the flight took off with only cargo on board.

News24 reports that KLM, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, BA, Cem Air and Maple Airlines have assisted around 12 000 South Africans seeking repatriation.

Passengers were about to board the KLM flight when they were informed that instructions were from the South African government that no passenger board the plane. No reasons were provided, and passengers were simply told the airline and the South African government were trying to resolve the matter. Shortly thereafter they were informed the plane would be departing without passengers.

Passengers had had to pay for the extremely costly tickets themselves, and are frustrated that they will have to now be quarantined in Johannesburg, before being allowed to depart for Cape Town, an expense which they will also have to cover themselves.

Umm Muhammed Umar