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MIXED FEELINGS: Medical student Bendik Nes (27) only studied for two weeks in Buenos Aires before physical classes at the university were canceled. He was busy looking for a flight home when it became clear that all commercial flights outside of Argentina were prohibited. Photo: Hilda Nyfløt
BUENOS AIRES / OSLO (VG) Around 70 Norwegians and people with residence permits in Norway were corrected when Corona closed all air traffic last week. Then you found a charter plane parked in the neighboring country.
- Hilda Nyfløt (photo and text)
On Friday morning, a Czech Smartwing BOEING 737 aircraft landed in Gardermoen after 19 hours of travel. On board were 150 passengers from the Nordic countries. 41 of these Norwegians.
They had been sitting in Corona in Argentina after Argentine authorities, as the only country in the world, banned all commercial flights until September 1 of last week.
– I studied two weeks before teaching was canceled. I could go to Norway right away, like three other medical students did, but since I was able to do the exams at home, I decided to stay in Buenos Aires and continue the adventure, says medical student Bendik Nes (27) who was in exchange at the University of Buenos Aires.
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But the adventure was constantly postponed. Argentina introduced a strict national quarantine on March 20. Since then, the curfew has been extended for two weeks at a time. The limits were closed. Except for workers in some industries, they are only allowed to leave the house to go to the store or pharmacy. In May, bandages were compulsory for everyone.
NEW JOB: Lia Rendon de Giacomino is employed at the Norwegian Embassy in Argentina and helped with check-in on Thursday morning.
Nes tried to get home on other European special flights, but didn’t get a ticket.
– Everything is ambivalent. The vacation in Buenos Aires was incredible. But after talking to four walls for two months, I’m happy to get home, says Nes, who risked missing practice and postponing his studies for a year if he hadn’t come by plane.
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Norwegian authorities organized charter flights to Oslo for Norwegians with a fixed crown in Argentina after a special flight ban.
– We suddenly had access to this charter flight in Uruguay last week. The flight permit was not in order Monday morning and today is Thursday, says Norwegian Ambassador to Argentina Lars Vaagen.
STRICT GUARANTEE RULES: According to Ambassador Lars Vaagen, about 150 Norwegians had returned to Norway alone or with other special aircraft before today’s flight. The embassy has also helped Norwegians traveling in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Photo: Hilda Nyfløt
After several intense days of contact with current passengers, procedures and obtaining permits, he wished travelers a good trip at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires. The same plane took travelers to Oslo, with stops in Brazil and the Canary Islands to fill up with fuel.
ON THE ROAD HOME: Line Lundsbakken Pedersen along with her husband Robert and their children Liv-Marie and Einar return to Norway, where they will be quarantined for two weeks. Photo: Hilda Nyflø
The plane had been in Uruguay after transporting crews on behalf of the Aker Biomarine krill company.
– Most of the passengers stayed in Buenos Aires, but we also had several passengers from more difficult places. A woman was on an island in the Paraná Delta and climbed the river last night before continuing on the taxiway to the airport, Vaagen says.
This is how they brought the Norwegians home
Last Thursday, Norwegians who had registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received “reiseregistrering.no »message about the possible flight. Tickets went on sale on Monday. Since road transport is prohibited in Argentina, it was difficult to cross borders between states, says the ambassador. Despite valid transit permits.
– A driver called me at midnight because the border police between two provinces in northern Argentina stopped the minibus with passengers. He remained there for several hours. We contacted the Tucumán police chief and they got on, he says.
– Relieved and happy
Norwegian-Argentine Mariana Sigstad resides in Oslo and was on a two-week work break in Argentina when her return flight to Norway was canceled in late March. She began the journey in the city of Tartagal, near the Bolivian border. She was on board the minibus that took her to the capital for 15 hours.
– It has been a stress trying to find travel alternatives to Norway lately. Now I am very relieved and happy, says Sigstad.
MAIN SATISFACTION: – I have always felt more Norwegian in the family. Norway is my country, says Mariana Sigstad on the flight from Argentina to Oslo. Photo: Hilda Nyfløt
Last year he settled in Oslo with a son with autism. She also has a daughter in the United Kingdom and another son in Denmark. Her father was a supporter of NS Hans Sigstad, who emigrated from Norway to Argentina in 1949.
– I was very afraid not to return to my son in Oslo. It is going well for a month, but not if four or five months had passed, she says.
