Coronavirus prompts China Southern to suspend Adelaide flights
Direct flights between Adelaide and mainland China have been suspended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, while Cathay Pacific has cut some flights to Hong Kong.
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Direct flights between Adelaide and mainland China have been suspended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Adelaide to Guangzhou service, operated by China Southern, has been halted with immediate effect and will be offline until at least June.
The Chinese airline operated three flights a week in and out of Adelaide.
The cancellations form part of a widespread slashing of routes operated by China Southern across the world, with services between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, and the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, also cancelled or reduced.
Cathay Pacific has also made cuts to its Adelaide to Hong Kong route, reducing its weekly service from four to two flights from March 4 to March 28.
An Adelaide Airport spokesman confirmed the suspension of China Southern’s Adelaide service, and said it was a “natural consequence” of the current travel restrictions in and out of China.
“China Southern has suspended the Guangzhou-Adelaide service until June this year due to the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus,” the spokesman said.
“China Southern has taken similar decisions to suspend and reduce services across its global and Australian network.
“We look forward to working with China Southern on the resumption of their service once there is more clarity on the ongoing impact of the coronavirus.”
China Southern started flying to Adelaide in December 2016, offering the state’s only direct service from mainland China.
It operated three flights a week between Adelaide and Guangzhou, increasing to five services over the peak summer period.
The coronavirus outbreak has affected more than 43,000 people globally, and killed more than 1000 people in China alone.
Two people have returned positive results for coronavirus in Adelaide, while an additional 17 South Australians are currently awaiting test results but the likelihood they have the virus remains low.
Fifteen test results have come back negative.
China Southern has been contacted for comment.