Korean Air to cut, suspend some Chinese routes amid virus worries

By Choi Kyong-ae

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's national flag carrier, said Thursday it will reduce or suspend some of its flights to China as the fast-spreading new coronavirus has sapped demand for travel.

The move comes as domestic and international airlines are suspending or reducing the number of flights on Chinese routes amid mounting fears over the fast-spreading virus, believed to have originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Korean Air plans to halt or suspend services on some of its Chinese routes beginning Monday to respond to declining demand to and from China due to closure of tour destinations in China and the cancellation of business trips there, the company said in a statement.

On Monday, the country's biggest full-service carrier will suspend services on routes from Incheon to Huangshan, Zhangjiajie, Changsha and Kunming, on routes from Busan to Beijing and Nanjing, and on routes from Jeju Island to Beijing, it said.

The company said it will also reduce the number of flights on routes from Incheon to Qingdao, Shenyang and Beijing and routes from Busan to Qingdao and Shanghai, effective the same day.

Korean Air said it will suspend its four flights a week to Wuhan until March 27.

Customers who cancel or postpone flights to China will be exempted from paying charges for cancellations or postponements until the end of March, the company said.

The new coronavirus virus first appeared in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last month and has infected thousands and killed more than 100 in China. Cases have been detected as far away as in the United States.

Worse still, concerns about the virus now extend beyond health to its impact on the economy.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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