United has canceled 24 flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong
Kong during the first week of February, citing falling demand caused by the
novel coronavirus.
“We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops
and will adjust our schedule as needed,” the airline said.
United, which is the largest U.S. carrier in the China
market, will pare back its Hong Kong schedule from San Francisco and Newark
that week by cutting three total frequencies. To Beijing, the carrier will cut
a total of 10 frequencies from Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Newark.
To Shanghai, United is cutting 11 frequencies in the first
week of February from San Francisco, Newark and O’Hare.
“The reductions reflect our significant drop in load
factors. Additionally, though we have implemented a temporary reduction, we are
still operating flights between the U.S. and China to enable customers to
continue to travel between the two countries,” the carrier said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday updated
travel guidance for China, recommending that travelers avoid all nonessential
travel to the entire country.