Travel Advisory

From media reports: Infobae reported that the Association of Workers of the Subway and Premetro suspended the strike that had been called for tomorrow and that was going to affect the service of all the subway lines.

The metrodelegados decided to lift the measure of force because of the call for a meeting for tomorrow at noon by the Undersecretary of Labor of the City to develop a schedule of inspections on trains reported with the presence of asbestos.

Airlines were again waiving change fees and cancelling flights as yet another winter storm threatened to make a mess of air travel along the East Coast.

Nationwide, more than 300 flights had been canceled and another 250 delayed as of 8:40 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. Those totals were expected to increase through Wednesday as snow moved into the region. Already, more than 150 flights had been preemptively canceled for Wednesday.

American, the world's largest airline, said it had canceled 415 flights in the Northeast -- a figure that accounted for about 7% of the carrier's worldwide schedule. American's cancellations did not yet appear to show up in the FlightAware tally, hinting at how quickly the number of nationwide cancellations might grow Tuesday across all airlines.

From media reports: Trenord, the train operator in Lombardy region, is reporting on its website that the Trade Union Or.S.A.-Ferrovie has announced a general strike of 8 hours from 9 am to 5 pm on Wednesday, 21 March.

There may be possible alterations on schedules of trains, delays and/or cancellations during the strike.

Hundreds of commuters were left stranded in Mumbai on Tuesday after dozens of students staged a protest between Central line’s Matunga and Dadar stations.

The demonstrators demanded employment in Central Railways, claiming they have already cleared examinations.

The aspirants reportedly threw stones to police officers that rushed to the spot and tried to move them out of the tracks.

From media reports: Express.de reported that public transport in Cologne and Bonn regions will grind to a halt on Wednesday, 21 March, as a series of nationwide warning strikes by public sector workers is set to begin. 

The strike will affect the Cologne transport network, KVW, including trams, the underground and interurban rail services from 3 a.m. until the end of service on Wednesday.

The Bonn transport network, SWB Bonn, including buses and rail services will also be affected by the strike on Wednesday.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Snow and freezing rain have delayed dozens of flights in Romania, while trains are also running late after an unseasonal cold snap gripped the country.

Valentin Iordache, the spokesman for Bucharest airports, reported 30 flight delays Monday morning due to the wintry weather. Temperatures were around minus 5 Celsius (23 Fahrenheit).

Weather forecasters issued an amber warning Monday for Bucharest and seven counties in southern and eastern Romania for sleet, snow and black ice until Tuesday evening.

Trains running from Bucharest to the Black Sea port of Constanta and the southern city of Craiova were delayed.

Four people died in the fire that hit the Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino on Sunday, an official of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said.

Darwin has been battered by 130km/h winds as Tropical Cyclone Marcus moved through the city, bringing down trees and power lines with a massive clean-up operation set to get underway.

While the eye of the category one storm moved off the coast near Daly River Mouth late afternoon on Saturday, emergency services advised Darwin residents to remain inside saying it was still not safe to go outside.

Marcus is now headed as a category two storm towards the Timor Sea and is expected to hit Western Australia's Kimberley Coast on Sunday, bringing wind gusts of up to 120km/h.

Flights in and out of Darwin were cancelled on Saturday but flights will resume after midnight. The first flight is due at 4.15am Sunday and all of Sunday's flights will operate as scheduled, according to the airport.

Businesses in Darwin were told to close their doors on Saturday, though some had opened early in the day to let customers purchase supplies.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to within 10 km of the border with Syria and to the city of Diyarbakir.

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to: 

• the remaining areas of Sirnak, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Kilis and Hatay provinces
• the provinces of Siirt, Tunceli and Hakkari

March 20 to 21 marks the traditional Newroz festival. Newroz celebrations have sometimes been a flashpoint for violent incidents. You should take care, particularly in public places, avoid large gatherings and follow the advice of the local authorities.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Amtrak and New Jersey Transit have resumed normal service to and from New York’s Penn Station after crews repaired a 111-year-old bridge that was stuck open, meaning its tracks were not aligned.

Scores of people were injured in the German city of Cologne on Thursday night after two trams collided. Cologne police said 43 people were injured in the crash, with one sustaining critical injuries.

PARIS, March 15 (Reuters) - French rail unions on Thursday called a wave of strikes, setting up a confrontation with President Emmanuel Macron as he tries to push through an overhaul of the state-run rail operator.

Do not travel within 10 kilometers of the border with Syria or to the city of Diyarbakir.

Reconsider your need to travel to Ankara and Istanbul because of the high threat of terrorist attack. If you do travel, do your research and take a range of extra safety precautions, including having contingency plans. Check whether your insurer will cover you.

Reconsider travel to all areas within the southeastern provinces of Batman, Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakir province, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Hatay, Kilis, Mardin, Mus, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sirnak, Tunceli and Van, due to the unpredictable security situation. The situation is more dangerous at night and in rural areas.

Location: Nationwide demonstrations and strike by major transportation unions, Air France pilots, and civil service employees.

Event: Transportation unions in France have called for a nationwide strike and demonstrations on March 22, 2018, which could affect the nation’s railway system and local transport lines, including the Metro and bus system in Paris and other major cities in France. A strike by Air France pilots and demonstrations by civil service government employees have also been announced for March 22. Rolling two-day strikes of the national rail system are planned from April to June, if a labor agreement between the unions and French government is not reached.

Actions to Take:

• Monitor local media for updates

• Make contingency travel plans if necessary

• Avoid demonstrations

• Exercise caution if in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests

• Notify friends and family of your safety

Annoyed by the government's commercial airline policy, airline pilots operating in Argentina could lead a protest in the upcoming Holy Week, which would complicate the significant flow of travelers moving in those days.

According to statements of the Secretary-General of the Airline Pilots Association (APLA) Pablo Biró, to Crónica TV channel, workers of Aerolíneas Argentinas, Austral, and LAN, among others, are analyzing the steps to follow.

MUMBAI: Students call off protest in Mumbai resulting in the resumption of train services. .

Earlier in the day, scores of students agitated demanding jobs in railways blocked rail traffic, including suburban services between Matunga and Dadar stations, causing difficulties to lakhs of commuters, a Central Railway official said.

From media reports: According to news portal Infobae.com, employees of all six Buenos Aires’s subway lines and the Premetro light rail line called for a strike on Wednesday, 21 March, between 5:30 and 8:30 a.m.

The union, the Subway and Premetro Workers Union Association (AGTSyP), said the strike intends to make the subway company to check some its Spanish-made wagons for asbestos.

(Editor's Note: In September 2017, Hurricane Irma damaged Barbuda Codrington Airport and authorities closed the airport until repairs can be made.)

Commercial flights to and from Barbuda have resumed with the blessing of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA).

A release from Edward Gilkes, the Director of Operations at the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority, stated that the restart of flights comes after Saturday’s inspection of the facility by the ECCAA.

Flights are continuing to be affected by snow which is causing delays and cancellations to some services in parts of the UK.

Staff at several airports in the south west, including Exeter and Bournemouth, have been working to clear overnight snow from their runways to allow flights to resume on Monday (March 19).

Bristol airport, which was closed on Sunday morning because of snow on the runway, said it was open on Monday but added that “some disruption continues due to the impact of the overnight snow at the airport and on transport around the region”.

“No further snow is forecast and we expect operations to improve as the day goes on,” said the airport.

British Airways said it planned to run its normal schedule on Monday although it warned “the risk of poor weather at some airports on our network remains in place”.

Flybe also warned that flights could be disrupted due to the temporary closure of airports, as well as possible restrictions on the number of arriving and departing flights.

Transport Canada says it has suspended Orca Airways' Air Operator Certificate (AOC) citing its repeated non-compliance with aviation safety regulations.

The regulator said in a statement on March 15 that it had identified several areas where the Vancouver-based carrier had not met regulatory requirements including maintenance, operational control, documentation, and quality assurance.

"Transport Canada will not allow Orca Airways to resume its commercial air service until it proves it can keep its operations consistently compliant with aviation safety regulations," it said.

In the interim, Calgary-based Integra Air (Lethbridge) has announced it will assume Orca Airways' flights and is currently in the process of negotiating aircraft, crews and management to support the carrier and prevent any further interruption to Orca passengers and customers.

More than 100 flights to and from Heathrow have been canceled on Saturday ahead of predicted bad weather. The Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow and ice in much of England and parts of Scotland ahead of another cold front from the east.

Transatlantic New York and Chicago are among more than 80 flights grounded by British Airways. Multiple domestic flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester have been canceled, as well as services to Amsterdam, Dublin, Geneva and Paris.

Passengers due to fly to or from Heathrow, Gatwick or London City this weekend are been offered the chance to postpone their journey up until Wednesday.

Lufthansa and its budget subsidiary, Eurowings, have canceled 10 flights, including services to Frankfurt, Munich and Salzburg.

Air France and its partner KLM have each grounded two round-trips from their hubs at Paris and Amsterdam. SAS to Oslo and Swiss to Zurich are also affected.

A spokesperson for the airport, which is the busiest in Europe, said: "While this weekend's weather may result in minor delays and some airlines consolidating flights, significant disruption at Heathrow is not currently expected."

Do not travel to the Maungdaw, Buthidaung or Rathedaung townships in northern Rakhine State due to reports of ongoing clashes between military forces and militants. Myanmar security forces are involved in ongoing security operations in northern Rakhine State. A curfew is in place for Maungdaw township.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Amtrak and New Jersey Transit service to and from New York's Penn Station is being affected because a 111-year-old bridge is stuck open and the tracks are not aligned.

The Portal bridge became stuck early Friday, and authorities say it's not clear when the problem may be rectified.

Avoid all travel to Gaza, due to continuing conflict between Israel and Gaza-based terrorists, such as Hamas, and the possible resumption of armed hostilities. If you travel to Gaza, you may be unable to leave.

Avoid nonessential travel to the West Bank, excluding Ramallah, Jericho and Bethlehem, due to the unpredictable security situation.

Avoid nonessential travel to the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, due to the risk of rocket and mortar fire, gunfire and military activity.

Avoid all travel to the parts of the Golan Heights that border Syria, that is, east of Highway 98 - with the exception of the urban communities of Buq'ata, Majdal Shams and Mas'ada - due to increased militant and Israel Defense Forces activity.

Avoid all travel to areas within 5 km of the border between Israel and Egypt, as the security situation could deteriorate rapidly. This includes Highway 10 and portions of Highway 12 near the border. Avoid areas where military activity has been reported. This advisory excludes the town of Eilat.

Avoid all travel to within 500 meters of the border with Lebanon, due to military activity.

Exercise a high degree of caution in Jerusalem due to protests and clashes between protesters and local authorities in East Jerusalem and parts of the Old City, and politically motivated attacks and violence throughout the city.

Exercise a high degree of caution in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Jericho and Ramallah as the security situation can change rapidly.

A tram hit a parked tram at the Topcular stop in the Eyup district of Istanbul.

Fourteen passengers were injured when a tram reportedly rammed into a stationary tram at the Topcular stop in Istanbul's Eyup district on March 15, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.