Austria's Innsbruck airport refuses110 British tourists entry over new Covid rules
December 28, 2021, 1:05 pm

Austria's Innsbruck airport refuses110 British tourists entry over new Covid rules

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The BBC reported that Innsbruck airport refused to allow 110 British tourists entry into Austria because they had not followed updated Covid restrictions, it has emerged.

Police said many were probably caught out on Sunday by a new rule requiring a negative PCR test within 48 hours.

Austrian opposition politicians blamed the health minister for failing to update restrictions on the internet.

Most of the tourists were flown home immediately but 40 were put up overnight in a hotel.

Of those 40, 12 were allowed to take new PCR tests and continue with their holidays, the local authority in Innsbruck said.

British travellers arriving in Innsbruck for skiing holidays in the western Tyrol region on Sunday were met by what some of them described as chaos, as the airport implemented new rules that came into effect on Christmas Day for arrivals from the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway because of the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

While 70 of those arriving in Innsbruck were able to fly home on the day, the other 40 were not and were quarantined in an Innsbruck hotel for the night. The 12 people eventually allowed in were reportedly all families with children.

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The restrictions, currently displayed on the Austrian UK embassy website, require anyone over the age of 12 to have a third Covid vaccination and a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of arrival. Under the previous rules a negative PCR test had to be taken within 72 hours of arrival.

While many reportedly had older PCR tests, some also had not received booster doses.

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One tourist, Victoria Winstanley, said on social media that the team checking Covid certificates for an Easyjet flight either did not have up-to-date information or were not checking them properly. The BBC has approached Easyjet for a comment.

Local opposition People's Party tourism spokesman Franz Hörl said he had no problem with tighter restrictions on countries such as the UK labelled "virus variant areas".

His issue was with a "botched" operation that he called neither professional nor humane, to bring in tourists over the Christmas period, take them to a hotel under police protection and then send them home at their own expense, he told the APA news agency.

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He said Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein was to blame because the old restrictions were still showing on the relevant government websites.

Austria's Tyrol is especially sensitive to further outbreaks of Covid-19 in its famous ski resorts. The resort of Ischgl was linked to cases in 45 countries at the start of the pandemic when skiers returned home with the virus in February and March 2020.

Earlier this month, France banned British holidaymakers from its ski resorts, barring all non-essential travel from the UK.

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.