Airlines based in North America, Europe, and Asia are canceling flights to China as authorities there seek to contain the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. Air India, IndiGo, British Airways, United Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, 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 on flights to China. Airlines are taking action as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread. The virus has killed over 132 people and infected over 6,000 people in China so far, with dozens of more cases confirmed in places such as the United States, Japan, Germany, and France.
Air India said on Twitter that its flight between Shanghai (PVG) and Mumbai, which goes via Delhi, has been cancelled from January 31 to February 14.
#FlyAI : AI 348/349- BOM- DEL- PVG (Shanghai) flight has been cancelled from 31st January 2020 to 14th February 2020.
— Air India (@airindiain) January 29, 2020Advertisement
Air India has also waived off the cancellation charges for travel to/from Shanghai & Hong Kong flights.
IndiGo airline said it has suspended its flights on the Bengaluru- Hong Kong route from February 1 and on the Delhi- Chengdu route from February 1 to 20. The low-cost carrier said, for now, it will continue to operate the Kolkata- Guangzhou flight which is “monitoring on a daily basis”.
British Airways said it has suspended all direct flights between Britain and China with immediate effect. The carrier operates two daily direct flights from London to China — one to Beijing (PKX) and one to Shanghai (PVG).
The carrier’s move comes a day after United Airlines (UAL) temporarily reduced its schedule between the United States and three cities in China. In total, 24 round trips are affected: Hong Kong to San Francisco and Newark; Beijing (PEK) to Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Newark; and Shanghai (PVG) to San Francisco, Newark and Chicago O’Hare.
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