American Airlines will suspend flights from Los Angeles to
Beijing and Shanghai as the coronavirus outbreak quashes demand.
The suspension begins Feb. 9 and will last through March 27.
The carrier noted that it will continue flying to Beijing and Shanghai from its
largest hub, Dallas/Fort Worth. Routes to Hong Kong from Los Angeles and Dallas
will also continue.
“We will continue to review our flight schedules to ensure
we can accommodate the needs of our customers and will make updates as needed,”
American said.
The announcement follows United’s decision Tuesday to cancel
24 flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong during the first week of
February.
Carriers in other parts of the world are also cutting China
capacity. Notably, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific said Tuesday that it will cut
capacity to mainland China by more than 50% from Jan. 30 to the end of
March.
Lufthansa Group has suspended flights to mainland China on Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines until Feb. 9. British Airways has suspended mainland China flights through Friday with plans to review the schedule according to safety advice from the U.K. Foreign Office. The airline has also stopped new bookings to mainland China.