Coronavirus News
LATAM to cut international routes by a third
LATAM Airlines Group will cut international flights by a third as the world struggles to contain an outbreak of Covid-19. The virus, now declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, has caused a precipitous fall in demand for travel.
Vietnam Airlines cuts routes to Europe as visa waivers are suspended
The government of Vietnam has also unilaterally suspended visa exemptions for eight European nations - Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain.
United States closes borders to travellers from Schengen area
The United States will introduce wide-ranging new restrictions on travellers from Europe as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak. In a televised address earlier, president Donald Trump said the move was “strong but necessary”.
India imposes visa restrictions to slow coronavirus outbreak
In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, India will issue only diplomatic, official, employment and project visas for the next month. The move is expected to impact negatively on the tourism, hotel and aviation industries.
Viking suspends all cruises until May
The announcement was made in a video by Viking chairman Torstein Hagen. Addressing guests, he said the safety of 10,000 staff and half a million annual passengers was the top priority.
Heathrow passenger numbers down as coronavirus bites
Heathrow welcomed 5.4 million passengers in February, down 4.8 per cent on last year after adjusting for the extra leap day. The fall was largely due to lower demand on Asian and European routes in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
WTTC Global Summit delayed until autumn
Gloria Guevara, WTTC chief executive, said: “We stand in solidarity with governments, countries and organisations which are being affected by Covid-19 and look forward to hosting our Global Summit in the autumn.”
European Union to act over coronavirus ghost flights
Officials at the European Union are seeking to offer struggling airlines a lifeline by suspending rules forcing them to run almost empty planes in order to keep prized landing slots.
Hyatt works to mitigate coronavirus damage with new measures
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has waived cancellation fees for stays in Greater China, South Korea, Japan and Italy until March 31st. The move is part of a wider package of measures designed to alleviate the impact of the coronavirus on travellers.
airBaltic to cut 250 jobs as aviation crisis deepens
airBaltic has announced new cuts to capacity over the next three months in the face of the coronavirus crisis. In line with the cuts, the number of employees, mainly crew, will be temporarily reduced by up to 250 people.
Coronavirus sees AviaDev Africa postpone until September
AviaDev Africa has been postponed until September 28th-30th as a result of the international outbreak of coronavirus. The event will be held at Novotel Convention & Spa in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Norwegian cuts flights, announces layoffs in face of coronavirus
Norwegian will cancel approximately 3,000 flights between mid-March and mid-June as travel demand slumps in the face of the Covid-19 outbreak. This represents approximately 15 per cent of the total capacity for the period.