Cathay says crew can wear masks on all flights due to new coronavirus

Cathay Pacific will allow all crew members and frontline employees to wear surgical masks due to concerns over a new coronavirus, and said passengers to and from Wuhan, China, could change or cancel flights for free through Feb 15. The airline had earlier said only cabin crew operating mainland China flights could wear masks, in response to the airline's flight attendants calling for permission to wear masks on all flights globally as cases have also been confirmed in the US, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. "Due to the evolving information from health authorities, we will allow crew members and front-line airport employees to wear surgical face masks when on duty at their discretion," Cathay said. The virus poses a fresh threat to demand for the airline, which has been battered by months of protests in Hong Kong. <br/>