Air Canada, Air India and South Korean budget carrier Seoul Air are also halting all flights to the country, and Indonesia's Lion Air plans to do the same. There are around 40 weekly services between New Zealand and China, including Hong Kong, by airlines including Air NZ, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, China Eastern, Air China and Hainan Airlines. Air New Zealand said today its Shanghai services are either full, or at near capacity this week. When the Sars outbreak hit in 2003 there were no direct flights between New Zealand and China. Then about 70,000 visitors from China came to New Zealand but this has grown to more than 400,000 a year.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 29, 2020 21:56 UTC