Two more Vietnamese airlines have suspended air services to and from Chinese destinations to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus (nCoV) that has kill more than 200 people in China.
| Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific airplanes. Photo: Vietnam Airlines |
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will temporarily stop flying between Vietnam and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen from February 4; to and from Chengdu from February 5; and to and from Macau from February 6.
The airline will also suspend flights between Hanoi and Hong Kong from February 6 and reduce the frequency between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong from 10 to 7 flights per week, it said in a press release late on Friday.
Meanwhile, its budget arm Jetstar Pacific will suspend Hanoi-Hong Kong, Hanoi-Guangzhou and HCM City-Guangzhou air services from February 6, 9 and 11, respectively.
Customers already booked a seat on those routes can get refunded or change to earlier flights free of charge, Vietnam Airlines informed.
The airline add that it will enhance sanitary measures on the flights and sanitize the airplanes on returning from Chinese localities to prevent the spread of the nCoV.
Low-cost carrier VietJet Air today announced that it would suspend all air links with China from February 1 for the same reason.
The Vietnamese government has decided to stop issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens and asked travel companies to cease receiving Chinese guests. Until now, all 31 provinces and cities in China have reported confirmed cases of nCov infection.
The disruption of air links has sent shares of Vietnamese airlines tumbling in the latest two days.
