16.64°C Vancouver

Jan 29, 2020 7:13 PM -

Airlines suspend China flights, cut service on virus fears

Share On
airlines-suspend-china-flights-cut-service-on-virus-fears
A Japanese chartered plane carrying evacuees from Wuhan, China, is parked after landing at Haneda international airport in Tokyo Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

British Airways and Asian budget carriers Lion Air and Seoul Air are suspending flights to China as fears spread about the outbreak of a new virus that has killed more than 130 people.

Several other airlines including Finnair, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and Singapore-based Jetstar Asia are reducing the number of flights to the country as demand for travel drops because of the outbreak.

British Airways said Wednesday it is immediately suspending all flights to and from mainland China after the U.K. government warned against unnecessary travel to the country amid a virus outbreak.

The airline operates daily flights from London's Heathrow Airport to Shanghai and Beijing. It took the measure a day after Britain's Foreign Office updated its travel advice on China, warning against “all but essential travel” to the mainland, not including Hong Kong and Macao.

Air Seoul, a budget airline, became the first South Korean airline to suspend its fights to mainland Chinese destinations that wasn’t Wuhan, stopping its flights to the cities of Zhangjiajie and Linyi.

Lion Air said it has cancelled more than 50 flights to China well into February. The flights are from five international airports in Denpasar, Manado, Surabaya, Jakarta and Batam to 15 airports in China.

Lion Group spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantor said the suspension would be phased in gradually and would continue until further notice.

China has cut off access to Wuhan and 16 other cities to prevent people from leaving and spreading the virus further. The outbreak has infected more than 6,000 on the mainland and abroad.

Hong Kong airlines are cutting the number of their flights to the mainland by about half through the end of March in response to government virus-control efforts.

Cathay Pacific Group said flights to 24 mainland destinations would be reduced to 240 weekly. The company owns Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Airlines, Cathay Dragon and Hong Kong Express.

Helsinki, Finland-based Finnair, which has actively promoted its position linking Asian and Western destinations, said it was cancelling three weekly flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport through late March, as well as its twice-weekly flights to Nanjing. It will continue operating flights to four other mainland Chinese destinations, including Beijing Capital Airport.

Jetstar Asia said it will temporarily suspend flights to the Chinese cities of Hefei, Guiyang and Xuzhou starting Thursday through the end of March due to a drop in demand.

South Korea's second-largest carrier, Asiana Airlines, said it will temporarily suspend flights to the Chinese cities of Guilin, Changsha and Haikou starting next month.

Korean Air, South Korea’s biggest airline, said it is also considering grounding some of its flights to mainland China as passenger demand drops. Korean Air had operated four flights a week to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, before suspending them on Jan. 23.

Taiwan’s Eva Air announced a partial cancellation of flights to and from mainland China for two weeks starting Feb. 2. In addition, the airline also has stopped providing towels, magazines, table clothes, and is limiting blanket and pillow in flight.


Latest news

basketball-canadas-michelle-plouffe-announces-retirement
CanadaJul 28, 2025

Basketball: Canada's Michelle Plouffe announces retirement

Canada’s three-time Olympian basketball player Michelle Plouffe has announced her retirement from international basketball. Michelle Plouffe, 32, from Edmonton, was part of the Canadian basketball team at the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 Rio Olympics and a part of the Canadian 3X3 team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Michelle Plouffe led the Canadian team to a fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics and was instrumental in Canada's victories at the 2015 and 2017 FIBA AmeriCup championships. Many basketball fans loved to watch Michelle Plouffe play 3x3 basketball alongside her twin sister,
abbotsford-teen-faces-almost-1-800-in-fines-after-speeding-away-from-bc-highway-patrol-and-crashing-into-a-parked-dump-truck
BCJul 28, 2025

Abbotsford teen faces almost $1,800 in fines after speeding away from BC Highway Patrol and crashing into a parked dump truck

Everybody makes mistakes sometimes, and if you’re caught speeding, it’s best to just pull over and accept the consequences. On July 21, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., an Abbotsford boy made his situation immeasurably worse when he did not accept the consequences. The trouble started when a BC Highway Patrol officer used laser radar to record a grey BMW sedan going 180 km/h in a 100 zone on Highway #1 at Popkum, BC. To the officer, the speeding grey BMW made other highway traffic look like it was standing still, said Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. The BMW was not pursued, but a fe
surrey-council-to-vote-on-15-9-m-contract-for-major-road-projects
CanadaJul 28, 2025

Surrey Council to vote on $15.9 M contract for major road projects

At Monday’s Regular Council Meeting, Surrey City Council will consider a combined contract award for improvements to 192 Street, from 16 Avenue to 28 Avenue in Campbell Heights, and the first phase of preloading for the 72 Avenue extension between 152 Street and Highway 15. The $15.9M combined contract will help advance these major road projects to reduce congestion and support the city’s growth and economy. “I’m thrilled that we’re moving ahead on the latest phase of the 72 Avenue Corridor Project, which is the largest municipal road investment in B.C.’s history,” said Mayo
CanadaJul 28, 2025

Structure fire claims 2 lives

On July 25, 2025, at 2:23 p.m. Prince George RCMP was notified that Prince George Fire Rescue was responding to a residential fire at the corner of Strathcona Avenue and Quince Street. Sadly, the RCMP confirms that two people lost their lives in the fire. The fire is not considered suspicious. BC Coroners Service has conduct of the investigation and any further inquiries should be directed to them. There are no further details at this time.
federal-government-should-impose-equivalent-tariffs-on-us-doug-ford
CanadaJul 28, 2025

Federal government should impose equivalent tariffs on US: Doug Ford

As the deadline for the end of trade talks in Canada and the US approaches on August 1, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has demanded that the federal government be prepared to impose equivalent tariffs on the US if no trade deal is reached by Friday, he said that the retaliatory measures should also include an equivalent 50 percent tariff on US aluminum and steel. Ford's comments come after Trump recently threatened to impose a 35 percent tariff on several Canadian goods from August 1 amid ongoing negotiations with Canada. Ford said that my position is clear that if Trump continues the trade war,

Related News