Last Friday, the Civil Aviation Authority extended the ban on international flights until June 22, for reasons of public health, therefore, the only way for these people to return to Panama is through humanitarian flights.

So far, at least 140 Panamanians who are stranded in different US cities have tried several ways to ask for humanitarian flights.

They are even collecting signatures through the site change.org so that both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health (Minsa) assist would them.

“Our consulates in the United States maintain accurate information on those affected. We hereby request authorization and support to carry out humanitarian flights that will repatriate Panamanians in the United States", reads the petition that is open and that until yesterday had 3,139 signatures of support.

A 15-year-old Gustavo Alexis Tuñón Pérez is stuck in Miami. According to his mother, Dora Pérez, her son traveled to Florida to participate in a swimming competition. His return flight to Panama was scheduled for March 22, the day the Tocumen International Airport was closed to mitigate the spread of cases of the new coronavirus.

Although he assures that his son does not lack anything in the residence in which he is in Miami, the boy is emotionally affected. He misses his house, he misses his own. With the airport closed for another 30 days, uncertainty accompanies this mother. "We do not know what may arise in another month. He is a minor, 15 years old, disciplined, but he is emotionally affected. His school is providing teaching online, but he does not have his school supplies, nor his books there. [...]The important thing is that the Government would arrange a humanitarian flight so that all those people who are in the United States can return as soon as possible”, she said.

Air transport is included in the fourth block of activities of the plan that the authorities devised to revive the economy.

Last Wednesday, May 13, the first block started: retail e-commerce, workshops and other services.

Until yesterday, there was no information on the dates when the other sectors will return to the so-called "new normal".

The law states that Minsa that will authorize or deny entry to the country for each such flight, based on the level of spread of Covid-19 in the national territory; the epidemiological status in the country of shipment; the quantity and health condition of the passengers; the availability of shelters or facilities for complying with the mandatory quarantine; and other epidemiological, health or safety conditions that are available.

According to Minsa's spokesperson Aris Ábrego, everything that is humanitarian flight related is first seen by the Foreign Ministry. He explained the way in which Minsa operates when people arrive in the country, but without saying, if there is the possibility of manage the flight.

The last humanitarian flight authorized by the Minsa to repatriate Panamanians was the one that arrived from Spain on May 10. About 250 people arrived then. The first repatriation of Panamanians took place at the beginning of last February, when the authorities brought 75 students who were on scholarships in China.

The drama of stranded citizens in different countries of the world in the midst of the crisis has been constant for the past two months, due to the fact that most of the world's airports are closed. Some 32 flights have departed from Tocumen International Airport since March, to repatriate citizens from different countries, mainly from Europe, the United States and Latin America.