Coronavirus: Airlines cancel thousands of flights

(FASTNEWS | Coronavirus outbreak) – Thousands of flights have been cancelled worldwide as airlines struggle to cope with a slump in demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Ryanair will stop services to and from Italy from Friday until 8 April, with BA scrapping its routes until 4 April as the country goes into lockdown.

EasyJet has cancelled all of its flights to and from Italy between 10 March and 3 April.

It has said it will operate “rescue flights” in the coming days.

Norwegian Air has also said it will cut about 3,000 flights in the next three months, about 15% of its capacity.

It also plans to temporarily lay off “a significant share” of its workforce.

“We have initiated formal consultations with our unions regarding temporary layoffs for flying crew members as well as employees on the ground and in the offices,” said chief executive Jacob Schram.

While the restrictions on travel to Italy and China have meant some services have stopped completely, there has also been a general fall in demand as holiday-makers put their plans on hold and firms instruct staff to limit travel.

Which airlines have cancelled flights?

• British Airways: All of its Italy routes are cancelled until 4 April
• EasyJet: In the process of cancelling all of its Italy flights between 10 March and 3 April
• Ryanair: Scrapped all Italy flights from this Friday until 8 April
• Norwegian Air: Will cut 15% of its global schedule for a month
• American Airlines: Cutting 7.5% of its domestic flights in April