German flight to Italy turned away because airport still closed

German airline Eurowings resumed services from Düsseldorf to Sardinia, Italy, on Saturday - but was forced to turn around at its destination because Olbia Airport is still closed. Flight EW9844 set off on the 1170km flight to Sardinia's Olbia Airport on the morning of May 23, but was in Sardinian airspace before being informed by air traffic control that it wasn't open to commercial traffic. The Airbus A320 hung around in a holding pattern hoping for permission to land, but no dice. A diversion was proposed to Cagliari, some 190 km away, reports Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, but the flight crew opted to cut its losses and head back to Düsseldorf. This little sightseeing tour of western Europe, for the benefit of the A320's load of two Sardinian passengers, took a total of four hours and ten minutes. A Eurowings spokesperson said that "against the background of the coronavirus crisis, the situation at numerous airports in Europe is very dynamic. The large amount of information provided on operating hours or airport closures are often changed at short notice," added the spokesperson, and there are "daily changes in entry regulations in the various countries".<br/>