Riaan 
Qaphelani, bahambi bomhlaba! Bheka amaphasipoti akho, manje.
UMnyango Wezwe uthatha isikhathi eside kunokujwayelekile ukukhipha amaphasipoti amasha ase-US, kanye nokuvuselela amaphasipoti akhona, ngoba izinombolo zamarekhodi zabantu baseMelika ziya phesheya kwezilwandle.
Njengoba inkinga ye-COVID-19 isinciphile, “abantu baseMelika sebeyahamba futhi,” kusho u-Andres Rodriguez, oyisikhulu sezokuxhumana nomphakathi ngezinsizakalo zamaphasiphothi eMnyangweni Wezwe, engxoxweni.
Ezinyangeni ezisanda kwedlula, umnyango ngezinye izikhathi ubulungisa amapasi afika ku-500,000 ngesonto, okuhlanganisa nezicelo ezintsha kanye nokuvuselelwa. Lelo nani alikaze libonwe ngaphambili, kusho uRodriguez.
“Sekungunyaka omatasatasa kunayo yonke eyake yaba khona ekukhishweni kwamapasi,” engeza.
Nakuba kuhle kakhulu njengoba ukuzulazula okuvuselelwe kungase kuzwakale kwabanye abantu baseMelika, igagasi lezicelo ezintsha licindezele izinkulungwane zabasebenzi boMnyango Wezwe okufanele bazicubungule.
Ngaphansi kwalesi sihlava, uMnyango uxwayisa izakhamizi ukuthi ukukhishwa kwamapasi kuzothatha amasonto ayisishiyagalombili kuya kwayi-11. Amapasi asheshayo, abiza enye i-$60, azothatha amasonto amahlanu kuya kwayisikhombisa. Lokho kungaba isikhathi eside kubantu abamagange ukugibela leyo ndiza eya eFrance noma umkhumbi wokuya eziqhingini zaseGreece.
Izikhathi zokulinda zingakhula kuphela njengenani lamabhaluni ezicelo, kusho uRodriguez.
Ngakho-ke, izikhulu zaseMelika zithi, hlela uhambo lwakho kusenesikhathi, bese uqala ukuthola nokuhlola amaphasipoti akho, noma uqale inqubo yencwadi eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka okokuqala ngqa.
Amaphasipoti ezakhamizi zase-US ezikhulile asebenza iminyaka eyi-10, kodwa amaphasipoti ezingane ezingaphansi kweminyaka engu-16 aphelelwa yisikhathi ngemva kwemihlanu nje kuphela. Ngokuvamile abazali bayakhohlwa ukuhlola izinsuku zokuphelelwa yisikhathi ezihlukene emibhalweni yezingane zabo. Futhi amanye amazwe, okuhlanganisa izindawo zase-Europe ezidumile, ngeke aze amukele amaphasipoti anezinyanga ezingaphansi kweziyisithupha zokuqinisekisa ezisele.
Ukuze uthole imibuzo mayelana nenqubo, noma ukuhlola isicelo, izakhamuzi zingavakashela travel.state.gov.
Ngokuvamile inani lezinhlelo zokusebenza liqala ukukhula ngaphambi kwekhefu lasentwasahlobo futhi liqhubeke ehlobo, liphole ekwindla. Kepha ukuhlinzwa kwaqala ekuqaleni konyaka. Izikhulu azilindele ukuthi ivolumu yehle kakhulu.
Ukuze ubhekane nezikhukhula zezicelo zamaphasiphothi, uMnyango Wezwe uthi “uqasha futhi uqasha” izisebenzi ezingama-26 ezweni lonke, isikhungo sesathelayithi eWashington kanye nezintambo zosizo lwezingcingo.
E-California, i-ejensi isebenza izikhungo zesifunda eLos Angeles, eSan Diego naseSan Francisco. Lezi ngezinye izikhathi zingahlinzeka ngamaphasipoti ngokushesha okukhulu ezimeni zohambo oluphuthumayo oluqinisekisiwe kanye nange-aphoyintimenti kuphela. Kepha izikhulu zixwayisa ngokuthi izikhala zokuqokwa zizogcwala ngokushesha njengoba inani lezicelo zamaphasipoti likhula.
Ngonyaka odlule, uhulumeni waseMelika wakhipha amaphasipoti ayizigidi ezingama-22, irekhodi kanye nokugxuma okungama-85% ngonyaka ka-2020, unyaka wokuqala walolu bhubhane.
“Zonke izimpawu zikhomba ukuba nelinye irekhodi kulo nyaka,” kusho uRodriguez.
