Travel in and out of France SUSPENDED after Paris terror attacks

TRAVEL routes in and out of France are in lockdown after a number of terror attacks swept across Paris.

 

At least 140 people are reported to have been killed and dozens more injured during a series of horrifying attacks across Paris.

Belgium has imposed controls on road, rail and air arrivals from France.

Meanwhile, panic set in across the Atlantic as American Airlines Group , the world's passenger traffic company, said it was delaying flights to Paris in response to the explosions and shooting attacks there, even though French airports remained open.

Spokesman Joshua Freed said: "Currently Charles de Gaulle International Airport is open, however, we are holding our remaining departures this evening to Paris until we have additional information.”

The French foreign ministry said airports would remain open, and flights and train service would continue.

A Belgian spokesman stressed it was not closing its borders but would step up spot checks on travellers arriving from France.

A Eurostar spokesman has said trains will run on Saturday but a free exchange will be offered to those who don’t wish to travel after the attacks.

Services are running as normal to Paris with the first service to Paris Gare Du Nord from London scheduled to depart at 6.18am.

Easyjet said it is operating its flights to Paris as normal but anyone travelling in the next 48 hours can cancel and get a refund. Passengers are advised to contact Customer Services from 7am.

Flights from Montreal to Canada are also delayed.

 

Reports suggest attacks have taken place in up to seven locations

Those dead include 118 people who had been held hostage in the Bataclan theatre in the French capital.

They were slaughtered inside the building before police shot dead two gunmen.

Earlier around 40 more were killed in a Kalashkinov shooting inside a restaurant in the 10th arrondissement of the capital.

The Foreign Office is yet to learn whether any British nationals were caught up in the attacks, a spokesman told NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com.

President Francois Hollande described the events as "terror attacks on an unprecedented level".

 

Belgium are imposing stricter controls on rails, roads and in the air

The two attackers were killed in a police operation to rescue the hostages at the Bataclan theatre, according to French media. 

Gunmen reportedly shouted "It's for Syria" and "Allah Akbar" inside the venue, but there has been no official comment on the motive. 

The rock band Eagles of Death Metal were performing a sold-out concert at the theatre.

It is unclear whether the bandmates – who include Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age – were among those who were being held hostages. 

An unverified Facebook post said: "There are still survivors inside the Bataclan. They're killing everyone one-by-one."

A spokesman for the band said: "We are still currently trying to determine the safety and whereabouts of all our band and crew.

"Our thoughts are with all of the people involved in this tragic situation."

Automatic gunfire was heard outside the theatre where the hostages are being held.

Images on social media showed two men who were ushered away from the theatre with blood clearly visible on their shirts.

 

JUST IN: @FAA statement on #ParisAttacks, "no changes in air traffic operations." pic.twitter.com/q1Qpp0eCOo

— bernie lubell (@bernielubell) November 14, 2015

United Continental Holdings said its three scheduled flights would still depart for Paris on Friday evening from hubs in Chicago, Newark and Washington, D.C. "We're operating our schedule as planned," spokesman Charles Hobart said.

A spokesman said: "We're operating our schedule as planned.”

A Delta Air Lines Inc spokesman said that currently, its flights were operating normally between the United States and Charles de Gaulle. He said Delta was in touch with its partners, Air France KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and was "not aware of any changes to their operations."

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency had not taken any action yet but was "prepared to act quickly in the event action is warranted."