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CHINA-HEALTH-VIRUS-AVIATION-TRANSPORT
Airlines halt, reduce China flights
PARIS, Jan 29, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A number of airlines say they are halting
or reducing flights to China as the country struggles to contain the spread
of the deadly coronavirus.
China has advised its citizens to postpone trips abroad and cancelled
overseas group tours, while several countries have urged their citizens to
avoid travel to China if possible.
The coronavirus epidemic has killed 132 people, infected nearly 6,000, and
spread to some 15 countries.
Here is a list of airlines that have announced changes:
– Air France –
Air France suspended its three weekly flights to Wuhan on January 24, but
as of Wednesday morning said it was maintaining its 23 weekly flights to
Beijing and Shanghai.
– British Airways –
British Airways said it had suspended all its flights to and from mainland
China. The airline flies daily from London’s Heathrow airport to Shanghai and
Beijing.
The airline said it had taken the move following advice from the government
against all but essential travel to China.
– Cathay Pacific –
The Hong Kong-based carrier said Tuesday it would progressively reduce
capacity by 50 percent or more on its routes to mainland China from Thursday
through to the end of March.
The reduction concerns both Cathay Pacific and its Cathay Dragon
subsidiary.
– Finnair –
Finnair, which offers many connections between Europe and Asia, said
Tuesday that the suspension of group travel from China was leading it to
suspend some flights beginning February 5 through most of March.
For the moment it will continue daily flights to Beijing and Shanghai, two
daily flights to Hong Kong, and two flights a week to Guangzhou.
– Lion Air –
Indonesia’s Lion Air Group, Southeast Asia’s biggest carrier by fleet size,
is halting all its flights to and from China owing to the deadly coronavirus,
a company spokesman said Wednesday.
The suspension, which affects routes to 15 different Chinese cities, goes
in to effect from February 1 until further notice.
Indonesia attracts more than one million Chinese tourists annually and
hosts tens of thousands of guest workers.
– United Airlines –
US carrier United Airlines said Tuesday it will trim its service to China
from the United States in light of a big drop in demand following a call by
US health officials to avoid non-essential travel to the country.
United said certain flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai beginning
February 1 through February 8 from three US cities were affected.
– Urals Airlines –
Russia’s Urals Airlines, which had already suspended flights to several
destinations in China, announced on Wednesday it was cutting some services to
Europe popular with Chinese tourists, including Paris and Rome, because of
the outbreak.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1635 hrs