Additional Charter Flights

St Helena Government is pleased to advise that Titan Airways has been commissioned to undertake four further flights between the United Kingdom (UK) and St Helena.

The current target dates for the flights to depart the UK are:

• the week beginning 14 September 2020
• the week beginning 26 October 2020
• the week beginning 30 November 2020
• the week beginning 11 January 2021

The proposed route for each flight is as follows:

The technical stops en-route are provisional at this time. Passengers should also note that the flight will only call at Ascension Island when there is sufficient passenger demand. The flight route between London and St Helena is therefore subject to change.

Passengers considering travelling on the flight expected in the week beginning 14 September 2020 are asked to register their interest by 9am on Tuesday, 18 August 2020. This strict early deadline is necessary to arrange the aircraft and flight arrangements. Late requests will only be considered on an exceptional basis.

For those based on St Helena, please register your name with the Tourist Office by contacting: christina.plato@tourism.co.sh or calling + (290) 22158. For those based on Ascension Island, please register your interest through the Shipping and Travel Office by contacting: kitty.george@ascension.gov.ac or by calling + (247) 66244. Interest in subsequent flights should also be registered through the same channels.

Availability of both inbound and outbound seats on the flights will be assigned on a priority basis as per the previous repatriation flights. The passenger capacity of the flights is not yet known and will be                    dependent on passenger demand and the chosen aircraft type. The number of passengers arriving to St Helena is limited by the capacity at Bradley’s Camp for as long as the mandatory 14 day quarantine arrangements continue.

 FAQs

Below are common questions received and answers provided on future travel arrangements to and from St Helena:

Travel Requests

 Who can travel on the flight?

Travel requests will be prioritised against a reasons-for-travel criteria (for example, persons needing to return to their country of normal residence or persons needing to travel on medical grounds will typically be given higher seating priority).

I am normally resident on St Helena, can I travel off-Island for leave/temporary break?

All requests will be accommodated where possible but please be advised that travel for leave or non-essential purposes will be given a lower priority for seat allocation.

Those considering travelling must take into consideration that quarantine measures are currently mandatory in some countries. It is important to note that under the current legislation, upon return all persons arriving to St Helena will be subject to 14 days quarantine at Bradley’s Camp.

Who is the point of contact for registering interest to travel to and from St Helena Island?

All persons interested in returning to or leaving St Helena should register their name with the Tourist Office by contacting: christina.plato@tourism.co.sh or calling + (290) 22158.  For those based on Ascension Island, please register your interest through the Shipping and Travel Office by contacting: kitty.george@ascension.gov.ac or by calling + (247) 66244.

You will be asked to provide your full name, address, date of birth, nationality, passport details, contact details, the country you wish to travel to, proposed dates for travel, and reason for travel.

If you are travelling as part of a group, please provide these details for each person in the group. You should also identify which member of the group will serve as the point of contact.

Once registered on the list, persons will be kept updated via the contact details provided.

I have already registered on the travel list. Must I register again?

If you have already registered, it is now important that you confirm that you still wish to travel and your proposed dates of travel. Please contact the Tourist Office to update your travel request.

Can I only register for the next flight?

If you are interested in travelling on the flight in the week beginning 14 September 2020, please register your interest with the Tourist Office by 9am on Tuesday, 18 August 2020.

It is also possible to register interest to travel on the remaining three flights. We encourage anyone considering travel to/from St Helena in the period up to January 2021 to submit their travel request at the earliest opportunity. 

This information will greatly assist planning for future flights.

Who makes the decision on who is prioritised to have a seat on the flight?

The criteria used for prioritisation were developed during the recent repatriation flights. These will be applied by an SHG working group including at least one Elected Member. Once the prioritisation                 exercise is complete, all persons who have registered with the Tourist Office will be contacted to advise them of the outcome.

What can I expect if I am offered a seat on the flight?

A flight information pack will be issued prior to the travel date to those offered seats. This will detail the payment process, what to expect at the outbound and inbound airport, what to expect on the aircraft and quarantine arrangements.

Fares

How much will a ticket cost?

For the flight expected during the week commencing 14 September 2020, the cost of an adult fare on the flight will be:

All persons aged 12 years or older will be charged at the adult fare rate.  Children between the ages of two and 11 years will be entitled to a 10% discount. Children aged younger than two years will be entitled to a 90% discount.

The above fares are now fixed for the September flight and are indicative for the remaining three flights. The final agreed fares for the subsequent flights will be published nearer the time.

Quarantine Requirements

Will the quarantine arrangements at Bradleys still be in place up until January 2021?

Persons planning to travel to St Helena in the period up to January 2021 should plan on the basis that the current quarantine requirements will remain in place. This will require arrivals to St Helena to quarantine at Bradleys for 14 days.

SHG will provide further updates should there be any changes.

Is there a cost associated with quarantine on St Helena?

SHG will charge for the quarantine facilities at Bradley’s Camp to ensure that at least some contribution can be made by travelers to recover costs and to mitigate the impact on the public finances of St                Helena.

Further information is available via the Quarantine Facility Charging Policy which sets out the charges for the use of quarantine facilities on St Helena during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Policy is now available on the SHG website at: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information. The policy is subject to regular review.

Will I be required to quarantine on Ascension Island?

All arrivals at Ascension Island are required to isolate for 14 days following arrival.

Persons in transit on the flights (either inbound to St Helena or outbound to the UK) will be required to quarantine at Ascension Island for the duration of their stay. This is expected to be for less than 24 hours (the flights are expected to arrive in the late afternoon and depart early the following morning).

Will I be required to quarantine on arrival in the UK?

All travellers from St Helena and Ascension are not required to self-quarantine on arrival in the UK.   Further information is available via: https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control.

SHG will provide further updates should there be any changes.

Longer-term Planning

When will the Airlink normal scheduled service between South Africa, St Helena and Ascension resume?

South African authorities are not permitting scheduled international flights to resume until the country moves to at least lockdown level 1. It is not known when South Africa will move to level 1 but this is not expected within the next three months. Airlink are therefore only permitted to operate limited domestic (within South Africa) flights at present. Airlink will not be permitted to operate scheduled international flights to and from St Helena until South Africa moves to level 1.

For general enquiries and more information, please contact Airlink Customer Care via: customercare@flyairlink.com  or call +27 11 451 7300.

I have booked flights with Airlink and my travel date is fast approaching. Should I cancel my plans?

Airlink will not be permitted to operate scheduled international flights to and from St Helena until South Africa moves to level 1. It is not currently known when South Africa will move to level 1 but this is not expected within the next three months.

As the date of your flight approaches, should there be a need to cancel this flight, Airlink will contact you via the information you provided in your booking. Alternatively, information is available via: www.flyairlink.com.

For general enquiries and more information, please visit:  https://www.flyairlink.com/important-info/covidmemo  or contact Airlink Customer Care via: customercare@flyairlink.com or call                                   +27 11 451 7300.

Other

Will there be opportunities for the flights to carry airfreight?

Yes, there will be opportunities for airfreight. Further details will be published during the week commencing 10 August 2020. In the meantime, organisations interested in using the airfreight service can register their interest with the SHG Airport Directorate by contacting: tessa.roberts@sainthelena.gov.sh or calling + (290) 22721.

#StHelena #CharterFlight

SHG

7 August 2020