China Pushes Airlines to Keep on Flying Amid Virus Fears

ZHANG YUSHUO

(Yicai Global) Feb. 12 — China’s Civil Aviation Administration is seeking to mitigate the economic impact stemming from the new coronavirus outbreak by lowering airlines’ fees while trying to keep international routes open.

Those aviation firms that fly epidemic prevention and control missions are exempted from airport charges, CAAC spokesperson said in a press conference today. Yesterday, CAAC Director Feng Zhenglin said that the aviation authority is studying how to support domestic airlines.

The virus outbreak has killed 1,114 people in China and spread to over 25 countries, causing tumult particularly in the tourism sector. From Jan. 10 to Feb. 4, more than 90,000 flights departing or arriving in China were canceled, according to data platform VariFlight.

The CAAC will help domestic airlines to strengthen overseas coordination while urging other countries to maintain normal operations in accordance with international conventions and bilateral agreements, Feng added in yesterday’s press release.

The United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization predicts that from February through March, people will make from 16.4 million to 19.6 million fewer trips than last year, causing airlines to lose up to USD4.9 billion in first-quarter revenues. Thailand, Japan, the US, France, and Australia should be most severely hit by the lack of Chinese tourists, losing an estimated USD24 billion in total tourism revenues.

Editor: Emmi Laine