The novel coronavirus outbreak has dealt a massive blow to the travel industry, as airlines around the world halt service on some routes and would-be travelers stay home amid health concerns. The disruptions could cost the global airline industry up to $113 billion in lost revenue from passengers, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Commercial flight cancellations due to SARS-CoV-2 began in January and were limited primarily to Wuhan, a central China metropolis where the virus was first detected. Service suspensions quickly expanded across China—one of the world’s busiest travel markets. Major carriers like Delta, American Airlines, Qatar Airways and Air France went so far as to suspend all flights to mainland China, while dozens more stopped flying to some of its biggest cities. The list of places affected by flight suspensions has continued to grow, as the outbreak spreads in countries like South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran.
Governments are also cracking down on the entry of non-citizens who have recently traveled to China, Iran, Italy, South Korea and other places with confirmed cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The U.S. is temporarily barring foreign nationals who have visited China or Iran recently unless they are immediate relatives of American citizens or permanent residents. Only eleven U.S. airports were receiving flights from China as of March 3, 2020.
| Airline | Based in | Suspended | Dates of suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | Canada | All flights to and from mainland China and Italy; flights between Toronto and Hong Kong; maintaining flights between Vancouver and Hong Kong (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 30
Apr. 30
|
| American Airlines | U.S. | All flights to China and Argentina; Hong Kong service to Dallas and Los Angeles; Seoul service to Dallas; Milan service to New York and Miami; Rome service to Philadelphia, Chicago and Charlotte; Santiago service to Dallas; cut capacity to Paris, Madrid, Montevideo, Barcelona, Venice; cut summer international capacity by half (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 31
Jun. 30
|
| Delta | U.S. | All flights to China and Italy; cut capacity to South Korea, Japan, EU countries and Latin America (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 2
May. 31
|
| United Airlines | U.S. | Flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong; also flights from Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago to Tokyo Narita; reduced capacity and schedule for flights from Newark, Honolulu and San Francisco to Tokyo Narita, Osaka Kansai, Singapore, Seoul and Taipei (various suspension and downgrading dates) |
Feb. 5
Apr. 30
|
| Airline | Based in | Suspended | Dates of suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Busan | South Korea | Flights between Daegu and Jeju |
Feb. 24*
|
| Air India | India | Flights between Delhi and Shanghai, and between Delhi and Hong Kong |
Jan. 31
Jun. 30
|
| Air Seoul | South Korea | Flights between Incheon and Zhangjiajie and Linyi in China; between Incheon and Hanoi (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 28
Mar. 28
|
| AirAsia | Malaysia | All flights to Wuhan and selected flights to mainland China; all flights between the Philippines and mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau (until further notice) |
Jan. 24
Feb. 29
|
| All Nippon Airways | Japan | Flights to nine cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, from Tokyo and Osaka; flights between Osaka and Hong Kong; cut capacity to four cities in China and various domestic routes (various dates) |
Jan. 23
Mar. 29
|
| Asiana Airlines | South Korea | Flights to dozens of Asian cities including Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong; between Daegu and Jeju; flights to Venice, Rome and Barcelona; cut capacity to 15 cities, including Shanghai and Shenzhen (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 4
Mar. 28
|
| Bamboo Airways | Vietnam | Flights from Nha Trang and Danang to Seoul |
Feb. 26*
|
| Cathay Dragon | Hong Kong | Flights to and from Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Sanya, Haikou, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan; cut capacity to and from the rest of mainland China by 50% or more (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 24
Mar. 31
|
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong | Flights to Japan, Tel Aviv, Jeju, Busan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Seoul, Washington, London Gatwick, Rome; cut capacity of flights to and from mainland China by 90%; cut global capacity by about 40% (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 30
Mar. 31
|
| Cebu Pacific | Philippines | Flights to mainland China and Taiwan, cut capacity to Hong Kong and Macau |
Feb. 2
Mar. 29
|
| China Airlines | Taiwan | Flights to and from Wuhan |
Jan. 23
Feb. 29
|
| Eastar Jet | South Korea | Flights to Shanghai, Zhengzhou and another four cities in China; flights to Macau and Hong Kong (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 30
Mar. 1
|
| HK Express | Hong Kong | Cut capacity of flights between Hong Kong and Seoul, Osaka, Nagasaki and Ishigaki (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 12
Mar. 26
|
| Hong Kong Airlines | Hong Kong | Flights to Chengdu, Chongqing, Guiyang, Sanya, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Hanoi, Male, Okayama, Yonago, Kagoshima, Seoul; cut capacity to Bejing, Shanghai, Haikou and 7 other cities in Asia (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 1
Mar. 28
|
| IndiGo | India | Flights between Bengaluru and Hong Kong, between Delhi and Chengdu, and between Kolkata and Guangzhou (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 1
Feb. 26
|
| Japan Airlines | Japan | Flights from Haneda to Guangzhou, Narita to Hong Kong Kong and Honolulu, Tokyo to Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian; cut capacity to some South Korea, Taiwan and domestic routes (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 6
Mar. 29
|
| Jeju Air | South Korea | All flights to China; between Incheon and Macau; between Jeju and Hong Kong; between Jeju and Daegu (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 7
Mar. 29
|
| Jetstar Japan | Japan | Flights to Bangkok, between Tokyo Narita and Shanghai; cut capacity by 50% to Vietnam and Japan (various dates) |
Feb. 5
Mar. 28
|
| Jetstar Pacific | Vietnam | Hanoi-Hong Kong route, Hanoi-Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City-Guangzhou (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 6*
|
| Korean Air | South Korea | Flights between Incheon and Wuhan, Huangshan, Zhangjiajie, Changsha, Kunming, Tel Aviv, Daegu; to Hanoi, Danang, Phu Quoc, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Taipei, Chubu, Aomori and Ulaanbaatar; between Busan and Beijing/Nanjing; between Jeju and Daegu. Also reduced frequency to 15 more routes (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 24
May. 31
|
| Mandarin Airlines | Taiwan | Flights to and from Taiwan |
Jan. 23
Feb. 29
|
| Myanmar Airways International | Myanmar | Flights to Guangzhou; charter flights to 10 cities in China (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 31
Feb. 29
|
| Pakistan International Airlines | Pakistan | All flights to and from Qatar and China; previously suspended flights to China from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 31
Mar. 31
|
| Peach Aviation | Japan | Flights to Shanghai from Osaka and Tokyo (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 10
Mar. 28
|
| Philippine Airlines | Philippines | Flights to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan |
Feb. 2
Mar. 29
|
| Scoot | Singapore | Flights to 19 cities to China including Wuhan, Guangzhou and Xi’an; ad-hoc cancellations of flights to Hong Kong and Macau (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 23
Mar. 29
|
| SilkAir | Singapore | Flights to Shenzhen, Xiamen, Chongqing and Hiroshima (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 4*
|
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore | Flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou; cut capacity to Hong Kong, Los Angeles, London, Paris and dozens of other cities (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 3
Mar. 29
|
| SriLankan Airlines | Sri Lanka | Halved total number of flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou |
Feb. 6
Mar. 28
|
| Thai Airways | Thailand | Flights from Bangkok to Rome, Milan, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xiamen and Kunming; cut capacity to Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh and UAE (various dates) |
Feb. 6
Mar. 31
|
| Thai Lion Air | Thailand | All flights to mainland China |
Jan. 24
Feb. 29
|
| Turkmenistan Airlines | Turkmenistan | Flights to Beijing |
Feb. 1*
|
| T’way Air | South Korea | Flights between South Korea and Hanoi |
Feb. 25
Mar. 28
|
| VietJet Air | Vietnam | All flights to mainland China and South Korea; maintaining services to Hong Kong and Taiwan (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 1*
|
| Vietnam Airlines | Vietnam | Flights between Vietnam and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Macau and South Korean destinations; between Hanoi and Hong Kong; cut capacity to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Seoul (various dates) |
Feb. 4*
|
| Airline | Based in | Suspended | Dates of suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| EgyptAir | Egypt | Flights to Hangzhou and to Beijing and Guangzhou (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 1*
|
| El Al | Israel | Flights to Beijing, Hong Kong, Italy and Thailand; maintaining other routes to China; delaying new route to Tokyo (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 30
May. 2
|
| Emirates | U.A.E. | Flights to Shanghai and Guangzhou; maintaining service to Beijing |
Feb. 5*
|
| Etihad Airways | U.A.E. | Flights to Rome, Milan, Shanghai and Chengdu; maintaining service to Beijing (various dates) |
Feb. 5*
|
| Gulf Air | Bahrain | Flights to Dubai, Iraq and Lebanon; cut capacity to several other destinations |
Feb. 27*
|
| Iran Air | Iran | Flights to Vienna, Stockholm and Gothenburg; temporarily suspended all flights to Europe |
Mar. 8*
|
| Pegasus Airlines | Turkey | Flights between Istanbul and Tehran |
Feb. 25
Mar. 11
|
| Qatar Airways | Qatar | All flights to mainland China |
Feb. 3*
|
| Royal Jordanian Airlines | Jordan | Flights between Amman and Rome |
Feb. 26*
|
| Saudia | Saudi Arabia | All flights to China |
Feb. 2*
|
| Turkish Airlines | Turkey | Flights to mainland China and Iran, except Tehran, Nakhcevan, Azerbaijan; cut capacity to Israel, Seoul and Nigeria (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 31
Mar. 10
|
| Airline | Based in | Suspended | Dates of suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Ireland | All flights to and from Italy |
Mar. 11
Apr. 3
|
| Air France | France | All scheduled flights to mainland China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Italy, Tel Aviv; will gradually resume operations to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei after March 29; cut capacity to Seoul, Singapore, Japan, and across Europe (various dates) |
Jan. 30
Apr. 3
|
| Austrian Airlines | Austria | Flights to Venice, Bologna, Milan, Beijing, Shanghai, Tel Aviv and Iran; cut capacity to European routes by 20% (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 29
Apr. 30
|
| British Airways | U.K. | All flights to Italy, Beijing and Shanghai; cut capacity to New York, Singapore, France, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and Albania |
Jan. 29
Mar. 28
|
| Brussels Airlines | Belgium | All flights to Italy |
Mar. 12
Apr. 3
|
| Finnair | Finland | All flights to mainland China; cut capacity to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Milan; cut capacity across European network by 20%; new route to Busan postponed (various dates) |
Feb. 6
Apr. 30
|
| Iberia | Spain | Flights between Madrid and Shanghai |
Jan. 31
Apr. 30
|
| KLM | Netherlands | All flights to Italy; flights to Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xiamen and to Beijing and Shanghai; cut capacity to Hong Kong (various suspension dates) |
Jan. 30
May. 3
|
| LOT Polish Airlines | Poland | Flights to Beijing and Italy (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 1
Mar. 28
|
| Lufthansa | Germany | Flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenyang, Qingdao, Tehran and Israel; cut capacity to Hong Kong, Seoul, Italy, various locations throughout Europe and domestically; cut flight capacity by up to 50% (various dates) |
Jan. 29
Apr. 30
|
| Neos | Italy | All flights to and from China |
Jan. 30*
|
| Norwegian Air Shuttle | Norway | All flights to U.S. from Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam, Athens, Oslo; all flights to Italy; majority of flights to U.S. from Amsterdam and Stockholm; large share of flights within Scandinavia; maintaining London to U.S. route (various suspension dates) |
Mar. 15
Jun. 15
|
| Ryanair | Ireland | All flights to and from Italy |
Mar. 17
Apr. 8
|
| SAS | Scandinavia | Flights to Beijing and Shanghai (from Jan. 31 to Apr. 30); flights to Bologna, Milan, Turin and Venice (from Mar. 4 to Mar. 16) |
Jan. 31
Apr. 30
|
| Swiss International Airlines | Switzerland | Flights to Beijing and Shanghai |
Jan. 29
Apr. 24
|
| TAP Air Portugal | Portugal | Cut 2,500 flights, mostly to European destinations like Italy, Spain and France |
Mar. 5
May. 31
|
| Ukraine International Airlines | Ukraine | All flights to China |
Feb. 4*
|
| Virgin Atlantic | U.K. | Flights to Shanghai; maintaining Hong Kong service; new Sao Paulo route postponed (various dates) |
Feb. 1
Mar. 28
|
| Wizz Air | Hungary | All flights to Italy; flights between Luton and Tel Aviv; cut capacity to various destinations (various dates) |
Mar. 11
Apr. 3
|
| Airline | Based in | Suspended | Dates of suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Seychelles | Seychelles | Flights to Tel Aviv, Mumbai, Johannesburg and Mauritius (various dates) |
Mar. 9
Jun. 30
|
| Ethiopian Airlines | Ethiopia | Reduced capacity and total number of flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong (various suspension dates) |
Feb. 3
Feb. 29
|
| Kenya Airways | Kenya | Flights to and from Guangzhou |
Jan. 31*
|
| Royal Air Maroc | Morocco | Direct flights between Casablanca and Beijing |
Jan. 31
Feb. 29
|
| RwandAir | Rwanda | Flights between Kigali and Guangzhou |
Jan. 31*
|
| Airline | Based in | Suspended | Dates of suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air New Zealand | New Zealand | Flights between Auckland and Shanghai; cut capacity to Shanghai and Hong Kong |
Feb. 9
May. 31
|
| Qantas Airways | Australia | Flights to Beijing and Shanghai; cut capacity to Hong Kong, Sapporo, Auckland, Tokyo and Osaka (various dates) |
Feb. 9
May. 31
|
| Virgin Australia | Australia | Permanent cancellation of routes to Hong Kong from Melbourne (from Feb. 11) and Sydney (from March 2) |
Feb. 11
Dec. 31
|
| Airline | Based in | Suspended | Dates of suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerolineas Argentinas | Argentina | Cut capacity to Rome, Madrid, Miami, New York and Orlando (various dates) |
Mar. 18
Apr. 26
|
| LATAM Airlines Brasil | Brazil | Flights between Sao Paulo and Milan |
Mar. 2
Apr. 16
|