Argentina imposes toughest travel ban in the Americas, sparking outcry

Argentina on Monday banned all commercial flight ticket sales until September, one of the toughest coronavirus travel bans in the world, prompting an industry outcry that the new measure will put too much strain on airlines and airports. While the country's borders have been closed since March, the new decree goes further by banning until Sept. 1 the sale and purchase of commercial flights to, from or within Argentina. The decree, signed by the National Civil Aviation Administration, said it was "understood to be reasonable" to implement the restrictions, without elaborating. Many countries in South America, including Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, have banned all commercial flights for the time being, but none have extended their timeline as far out as Argentina. "The problem was that airlines were selling tickets without having authorization to travel to Argentine soil," a spokesman for President Alberto Fernandez said. The ban would put a strain on LATAM Airlines Group, which has a significant domestic operation in Argentina, and has been seeking help from multiple governments. Argentina's largest carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas, is state-owned and could survive as long as the government is willing to subsidize it.<br/>