German air carrier Lufthansa wants to ground all flights to and from China until February 9 in response to the deadly outbreak of a new coronavirus
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2020) German air carrier Lufthansa wants to ground all flights to and from China until February 9 in response to the deadly outbreak of a new coronavirus.
The news first appeared in German daily Bild. It was officially confirmed by the airline, which said the cancellation also applied to its subsidiaries in Austria and Switzerland.
"Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines will suspend their flights to/from (mainland) China until February 9th," it tweeted, citing "operational reasons."
Bookings are expected to restart on March 1. The precautionary measure will not affect Hong Kong flights.
The German flag-carrier also plans to pull its crews out of mainland China.
"Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines will be flying to their respective destinations in China for one last time. This is intended to give our guests the opportunity to take their planned flight and our crews to return," it said.
The number of those infected with the virus in China has neared 6,000, with more than a hundred having died from the flu-like infection. Cases have also been reported in over a dozen countries, including France, Germany and the United States.
