Airlines based in North America, Europe and Asia are canceling flights to China.
According to reporting from CNN Business, amid the deadly coronavirus that continues to spread in China and some other parts of the world, British Airways, United Airlines, American Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, Air India, IndiGo, Lufthansa and Finnair have announced plans to slash the number of flights they are operating to China or stop flying to the country entirely. Other airlines are offering customers refunds.
First, United Airlines temporarily reduced its schedule between the United States and three cities in China, then, British Airways, which is owned by International Airlines Group and operates two daily direct flights from London to China — one to Beijing and one to Shanghai, also announced suspensions.
CNN Business continued to add that American Airlines became the second US carrier to suspend some of its flights to China due to a drop off in demand. The airline said it is canceling flights from Los Angeles to Shanghai and Beijing from February 9 through March 27. It will continue to fly to Hong Kong from its Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles hubs.
Air Canada, which has 33 weekly flights to China, has also canceled select flights due to a reduction in demand. Air India said on Twitter that its flight between Shanghai (PVG) and Mumbai, which goes via Delhi, has been canceled from January 31 to February 14. Finland’s Finnair is canceling three weekly flights between Helsinki and Beijing (PKX) between February 5 and March 29.
Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines have not suspended flights, but passengers and crew traveling from China will be subjected to additional screening at airports.
