Airlines delay EX-YU flights over Coronavirus
Korean Air has closed reservations for its seasonal flights between Seoul and Zagreb until late April. The carrier, which was due to reintroduce three weekly services between the two capital cities on March 31, has now pushed back the route’s resumption until April 25. It comes as South Korea has been battling with the largest outbreak of the new coronavirus outside China. Croatia, which itself reported its first case of the virus yesterday, has introduced monitoring for visitors coming from South Korea. The airline has suspended ticket sales on the route until April 25, with scheduled flights between the two cities being displayed as “unavailable” until then. Alternatives to the Croatian capital are offered via other points in Europe, including Zurich and Frankfurt, in cooperation with Croatia Airlines.
Iranian carrier Mahan Air, which was due to resume two weekly seasonal operations between Tehran and Belgrade from April 26. has also discontinued bookings on the route until further notice. Services, which were to operate with the Airbus A310 aircraft, are now being displayed as “full” along with several other of the airline’s international destinations. A number of carriers have halted flights to Iran. The country is one of three hotspots outside China causing concern that the virus could be becoming a pandemic. More people have died in Iran from the virus than anywhere else outside China.
At this point, it is unclear whether the two airlines will reverse their decisions in the weeks to come as the virus situations evolves. With increased cases of the coronavirus being reported in countries near and far from China, numerous routes around the world are being cut due to a mix of low demand and government mandates restricting travel to certain regions. Airlines stand to lose over thirty billion US dollars in revenue this year due to the outbreak. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts demand for air travel will fall for the first time in more than a decade. Airlines in China and other parts of the Asia Pacific region are expected to take the vast majority of the impact.
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