United Suspending Some Flights To China In Wake Of Coronavirus Spread
CHICAGO (CBS) -- United Airlines is cutting back on the number of flights to China as fewer customers are traveling there after the outbreak of the coronavirus.
"Due to a significant decline in demand for travel to China, we are suspending some flights between our hub cities and Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai beginning Feb. 1 through Feb. 8. We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and will adjust our schedule as needed," United said in a statement.
The airline will still provide travel for customers still wishing to travel to those cities. United said 24 flights were suspended nationwide, including five that operate at O'Hare. Two of those are flights to Bejing and three are to Shanghai.
The CDC issued its strongest travel warning, urging Americans to cancel all non-essential trips to China.
Officials in China are racing to contain a deadly new strain of virus that has infected nearly 4,500 people and left at least 107 dead. Chinese officials have blocked all transportation in and out of the city of Wuhan and surrounding areas, where the outbreak of the "2019 novel coronavirus" or "2019-nCoV" originated.