El Salvador imposed a fine on Spirit Airlines for boarding a passenger who passed the PCR Covid-19 test, said Ricardo Cucalon, director-general of the country’s Migration and Foreign Affairs Office, on Monday.
The flight was from Houston to San Salvador on Thursday.
Spirit was fined approximately $ 6,000, said Cucalon, speaking to local media on Monday.
“I call the airline to resolve the problem. A $ 6,000 fine does not resolve. The problem is the risk to which countless people have been exposed ”, said Cucalon.
58 passengers who have traveled on the same flight have already been notified, as has the country’s Ministry of Health – it is up to them to determine the best way to contain the possible spread of the virus.
What happened: On Thursday, a Honduran citizen was allowed to board a flight from Houston, Texas, to San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, where the migration authorities found that the passenger was allowed to travel with a positive PCR test result for Covid-19.
Spirit Airlines told CNN on Saturday that it is investigating how the passenger managed to board the plane “despite going through checks” and will take appropriate action. The airline said it has protocols to meet the requirements of each country to which it travels.
El Salvador requires all passengers traveling to the country to have a negative PCR test performed within 72 hours prior to travel.
The country resumed international flights in September, after closing them for six months due to the coronavirus pandemic.