MELKSHAM resident Mary-Ann Pickett, has been stranded in Mauritius for five months, since the start of lockdown, after the island’s airport was closed to flights.
On 1st March, Mary-Ann had taken a flight to her birthplace on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, intending to stay for a few weeks to help her family.
Her husband John explained, “She was returning to help her younger sister care for their elderly mother (97). The lockdown meant that the massive holiday industry in Mauritius dried up virtually overnight and as a result, the one and only airport closed.
“Mary-Ann has now been stranded there for five months and the airport remains closed to all but cargo flights and a few incoming repatriation flights for Mauritian residents stranded abroad, mainly in the Far East.
“She has been given several possible dates for a return flight to London; until a few days ago she was working towards a return on 2nd August. Then it was changed to 29th August, followed by yet another date – 4th September.
“That is the current date for the first British Airways flight back to London, but it is not confirmed and may well be put back yet again. By 4th September, Mary-Ann will have been stranded on Mauritius for over six months.
“The UK Government made great efforts to bring home Brits who found themselves stranded on cruise liners around the world, but nobody is doing anything about this situation and British Airways have been less than helpful. Indeed, for several weeks their office in the island capital Port Louis remained closed to callers and telephone calls were met by a blunt recorded statement simply saying the office is closed until further notice, so no information whatsoever was available.
“Mary-Ann will be well known to many Melksham residents. She was chair of the French Twinning Association on three occasions and she has been running her exercise classes and Tai Chi classes in this area for almost 20 years.
“I have been holding the fort during her long absence but had to celebrate my 75th birthday alone as my daughter and grandchildren were not allowed to visit due to lockdown. At least Mary-Ann was able to meet the newest member of her family. Her niece was due to give birth after she should have returned to the UK but the enforced stay meant that she could meet and cuddle little Nathan who was born in June.”
