While the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the world, American Airlines has confirmed that it will cancel all of its services to mainland China. This suspension will begin from today and last till March 27th.

National interest

This announcement was made on the same day that fellow US carrier Delta Air Lines shared that it will suspend all flights to the country.

Unlike American, which will suspend flights immediately, Delta will wait till February 6th to force the move. These cancelations by the Atlanta-based firm will last till April 30th. This makes it the longest suspension related to the outbreak so far.

American shared its announcement in a press release. The Dallas-based airline made the judgment following a notification from the United States government. Officials said that that there is now even more risk when traveling to China.

“Based on the U.S. Department of State’s recent increase of the China Travel Advisory to a Level 4 (Do Not Travel), American is suspending its operations to and from the Chinese mainland beginning today through March 27,” American shared on its website.

“Our teams are contacting affected customers directly to accommodate their needs. We will continue to evaluate the schedule for March 28 and beyond and make any adjustments as necessary.”

coronavirus temperature check getty images
Touchless tech will help temperature screening become more efficient. Photo: Getty Images

Employee worries

Just earlier today, it was reported that the AA’s pilots union filed a lawsuit to stop the airline from conducting any further flights to the country.

Even though the carrier stopped its flights to Beijing and Shanghai from California, it continued flying there from its home in Texas.

With the number of confirmed infections increasing, the pilots wanted to secure a restraining order to prevent more services from departing to the region. Therefore, the staff will be relieved to hear that they won’t have to anxiously board these flights for the time being.

Coronavirus, evacuation, quarantine
Airlines around the world are taking action to deal with Coronavirus. Photo: Getty Images

Growing concerns

According to CNBC, 213 people have now died due to the virus. Meanwhile, there are now 9,800 confirmed cases in China alone.

Since air travel is the quickest way for these sorts of infections to spread to other countries, airlines have been increasingly suspending their flights to the region.

These suspensions will cause huge blows for passengers who have connections to the land. Additionally, carrier revenue will also be affected. However, as the virus continues to spread, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Airlines are continuing to suspend flights. At the moment, over 50 carriers have canceled some or all of their operations to the nation.

Therefore, if anyone is planning to travel to the country in the next few months, it is recommended to contact your airline.

What are your thoughts on how airlines are continuing to cancel flights to China? Let us know what you think in the comment section.