Coronavirus update: United Airlines extends China flight cancellations into April
United Airlines is canceling more flights to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread.
The airline will suspend operations from U.S. airports to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai in mainland China and to Hong Kong until April 24. Previously, United's flights to Hong Kong were canceled between Feb. 8 and Feb. 20, and its flights to mainland China through March 28.
In a Wednesday statement, United said it will continue monitoring the outbreak and working with the CDC and other public health experts.
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The airline added it would provide affected customers with rebooking options or refunds if they choose not to reschedule their travel. It also said its crews are "trained and ready to respond to any passenger who may become ill in flight," and added that aircraft used for international operations have their hard surfaces wiped down with disinfectant between every flight.
United Airlines is the largest U.S. carrier to China, and it is working on redeploying some of the planes that serve those routes on other services, TPG's Edward Russell reported earlier this month.
American and Delta have also both suspended flights to China, and Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has temporarily slashed its network to mainland China by 90% in response to reduced demand resulting from fears over the virus.
In-depth:What does the coronavirus outbreak mean for travelers?
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