American Airlines Suspends Hong Kong Flights Too With Coronavirus Threat Killing Demand

Feb. 4--American Airlines has suspended flights between the United States and Hong Kong until Feb. 20 as the number of coronavirus cases grow in China and worldwide.

Fort Worth-based American had already halted flights between the United States and mainland China destinations of Beijing and Shanghai, but had been hesitant to drop routes to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has been less impacted than other parts of China by the infection. With more than 20,000 cases of coronavirus infection in China, there have been just 15 in Hong Kong, 8 in Macao and 10 in Taiwan, according to China's health ministry.

American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said in a statement the company was dropping Hong Kong service "due to demand."

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make any updates as needed," he said.

The union representing American Airlines pilots had criticized the company for continuing to run Hong Kong routes, saying that people in China trying to get back to the United States would naturally reroute through Hong Kong with other air services limited. The Allied Pilots Association had sued to stop the routes and directed pilots to turn down assignments to all parts of China.

American Airlines flies DFW International Airport's only non-stop flights to China, with regular routes to Hong Kong, Shangai and Beijing. But service on all those routes have been suspended as the coronavirus epidemic remains.

Shanghai and Beijing routes are suspended from the U.S. on American Airlines through March 27. Delta and United have also suspended routes.

On Sunday, the CDC said that DFW could be one of 11 airports where people could be rerouted to if they have recently traveled to China or the epicenter Hubei region where the illness is thought to have first passed to humans.

Patients that show symptoms or those that have been to the Hubei province after airport screenings could be quarantined at a local site, the CDC said.

There have been 11 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United Staes and 82 pending cases, according to the CDC. All but two confirmed cases happened with people who recently traveled to China and the other two infections came from people that had close contact with people who had confirmed diagnoses.

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