LONDON - China is becoming increasingly isolated as airlines shelve or reduce flights to the mainland amid fears of a global coronavirus epidemic.
Travel agents need to check with airlines for the latest flight information as the situation is dynamic with discussions ongoing between airlines and health authorities.
British Airways has suspended all flights to China, while a further eight airlines from North America, Europe and Asia have announced plans to either halt or reduce flights to the mainland.
They include United Airlines, American Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, Air India, IndiGo, Lufthansa and Finnair.
A “significant decline in demand” for American flights to China prompted United Airlines to announce it will stop flying to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai for the first week of February.
American Airlines has also cancelled flights from Los Angeles to Shanghai and Beijing from Feb. 9 until Mar. 27.
Air Canada has suspended some of its 33 weekly flights to China.
Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines have all halted flights to and from the Chinese mainland until Feb. 9. Passengers are barred from making online bookings until the end of February.
Finnair has cancelled flights from Helsinki to Beijing and Nanjing until Mar. 29.
Indonesia's Lion Air Group, South-east Asia's biggest carrier by fleet size, is halting all its flights to and from China from Feb. 1 until further notice.
In Myanmar, the three airlines that have routes into neighbouring China also said those flights would also be suspended from Saturday.
Emirates airline, however, as of Jan.30, is continuing business as usual with flights scheduled to China.
The Business intelligence Service, M1nd-Set, has compiled a chart showing where locals from Wuhan – the epicenter of the current coronavirus outbreak - travel to overseas.
It shows that 33% head for Thailand, with 21% of them having Bangkok’s two airports as their final destination.
Other popular destination airports for Wuhan travellers are Singapore (9%), Hong Kong (7%), Tokyo-Narita and Seoul (both 6%), Denpasar Bali (5%), Kuala Lumpur and Macau (both 4%).