Germany’s Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss are suspending flights to mainland China through February 9 as fears spread about a new virus that has killed more than 130 people.
Lufthansa said in a statement yestersday that the airlines will fly one last time to their destinations in China, giving passengers a chance to catch their flights and bringing crews back to Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
The airlines will continue to fly to Hong Kong as scheduled.
British Airways has also halted all flights to China and American Airlines has suspended flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing. They joined several Asian carriers that are either suspending or significantly cutting back service to China as fears spread about the coronavirus.
Air India and South Korean budget carrier Seoul Air are also halting all flights to the country, and Indonesia’s Lion Air plans to do the same. Other carriers including Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore-based Jetstar Asia are slashing services.-AP
