British Airways suspends direct flights to parts of China on coronavirus fears
China virus prompts British Airways to suspended bookings for direct flights from London to Beijing and Shanghai.
British Airways has suspended bookings on its website for direct flights from London to Beijing and Shanghai until March, after warnings over travel to China due to the coronavirus outbreak.
BA.com, the airline’s website, shows no direct flights to China are available in January and February. A spokeswoman for the airline said on Wednesday it was “assessing the situation”.
Britain on Tuesday advised against “all but essential” travel to mainland China due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We have suspended all flights to and from mainland China with immediate effect following advice from the (UK) Foreign Office against all but essential travel,” BA said in a brief statement.
“We apologise to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority,” it added.
BA flies daily from London’s Heathrow airport to Shanghai and Beijing. Its announcement on suspending the flights came after Russia’s Urals Airlines on Wednesday said it had suspended some services to Europe popular with Chinese tourists, including Paris and Rome, because of the outbreak.
The virus has killed more than 130 people, infected thousands and reached as many as 15 countries.
Reuters, AFP
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