(LEAD) Korean Air to suspend flights to Wuhan by end-January

All News 16:05 January 23, 2020

(ATTN: ADDS details in last 3 paras)

SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's national flag carrier, said Thursday it will suspend its flights to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of a new SARS-like virus, by the end of this month.

The move comes after the Chinese authorities made a decision to not allow most inbound and outbound flights on domestic and international routes at the airport there starting Friday.

Korean Air currently operates four flights a week from Incheon International Airport to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport.

"We will inform our customers of the suspension plans and will make a decision on future flights (to the Chinese airport) in accordance with the Chinese authorities' plans," a company spokeswoman said.

South Korea on Thursday issued a travel alert for Wuhan in central China after reporting its first confirmed case of the coronavirus Monday.

Authorities are acting aggressively to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which has genetic similarities to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed about 650 people in China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.

In close cooperation with the transport and health ministries, the Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), the operator of South Korea's main gateway Incheon International Airport, said it will adopt stricter quarantine measures for all airline passengers using the airport.