NO-FLY ZONE

White House Considers Banning Flights to China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

United announces reduction, British Airways and Lufthansa go for complete suspension of direct flights to mainland China.

The White House is considering a ban on flights between the U.S. and mainland China as the deadly coronavirus outbreak worsens, Trump administration officials told USA Today. The proposed ban does not take into consideration travelers who may be transiting through other countries to reach the U.S. United Airlines, which runs around 12 flights a day to and from China, announced a suspension of 24 flights between the U.S. and Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai effective the first week of February. Hong Kong announced a partial ban of all flights to mainland China effective Jan. 30 and British Airways announced a suspension of all its direct flights to and from China, effectively immediately. On Wednesday, German carrier Lufthansa announced it would stop all direct flights to China, and American Airlines announced it would be suspending service from Los Angeles to Shanghai and to Beijing from Feb. 9 through March 27. The carrier will will still operate its flights from Dallas-Fort Worth and from Los Angeles to Hong Kong during that period. The U.S. State Department this week issued a Level 3 alert, warning Americans to “reconsider” traveling to China. Nearly 6,000 cases have been confirmed in China, and at least 132 people have died from the deadly virus.