SINGAPORE: More than 25,000 flights to, from and within China will be cancelled this week as more than two dozen airlines suspend services to the country because of the coronavirus outbreak, leading to an unprecedented shakeup in the world’s second-largest aviation market. International capacity will fall by 4.4 million seats a week, with Lion Air, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Turkish Airlines cutting flights to China, resulting in the "most dramatic change in schedule” in such a short time, according to OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd. The loss in seats in the international market is equivalent to the entire Indian market, OAG said in a statement Monday (Feb 3). Global efforts to contain the spread escalated after the the The US confirmed more infections and the Philippines reported the first fatality outside China. In the Chinese domestic market -- about 43 times larger than the largest international market -- 3.8 million seats will be lost, according to OAG.

Source: The Star February 03, 2020 13:41 UTC