The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is still continuing to shake up the aviation industry. British Airways has shared that it will now cancel some flights between Italy, Singapore, and South Korea.

Heathrow British Airways BA
British Airways is making further amendments on international routes. Photo: Getty Images

Another route revised

The flag carrier of the United Kingdom has made further cancelations due to the disease. The airline recently increased the period of its suspensions to Beijing and Shanghai until April 17th. However, it has now added more cancelations on its network as the virus spreads across the globe.

Even though BA still flies to and from Italy, it recognizes the sensitive situation in the north of the country. According to Reuters, 56 return flights from Heathrow and Gatwick to Italy between March 14th  and March 28th have been canceled

The airline will now merge a small number of flights to and from the city. This is reportedly due to reduced demand for these services.

Additionally, on its official website, the carrier has shared that passengers booked to travel between London and destinations such as Milan, Bologna, Turin, Venice, Bergamo, and Verona up to March 2nd can rebook. These customers can rebook to a later travel date up to March 31st.

Coronavirus impact on aviation
The coronavirus is expected to knock $5bn off airline revenue this quarter globally. Photo: Getty

Further cancelations

Along with the Italy alterations, there have been revisions made on flights to Seoul. Flights to the capital of South Korea will now operate every other day rather than daily.

Additionally, the firm will cancel six return flights from Heathrow to Singapore every other day until March 15th. Nonetheless, there will still be a flight in service every day.

British Airways BA 747
British Airways is currently the largest passenger operator of the 747-400. Photo: Getty Images

Safety first

British Airways shared that it is constantly reviewing impact of coronavirus. Altogether, the safety of its passengers will remain the priority as the outbreak continues to spread.

"We recognise the increased uncertainty that coronavirus (COVID-19) may be causing. This situation will remain under review and we will continue to provide regular updates," British Airways informed its passengers on its website.

"We’ll do everything we can to help customers affected. Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and we continue to liaise closely with global health authorities and government agencies on behalf of our customers. Please make sure your contact details are up to date in Manage My Booking, so we can let you know directly if your flight is affected."

Simple Flying reached out to British Airways for comment on its decisions. A spokesperson shared that the company will be contacting customers on impacted flights to discuss their travel options, including rebooking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or booking with BA for a later date of travel.

As the situation with the coronavirus outbreak continues to unfold, we advise checking with your airline regarding the status of any flights in the near future before traveling.

What are your thoughts on airlines continuing to halt flights to various countries across the world? Do you feel that this is a good move by British Airways? Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section.