Philippine carriers cancel flights to China over coronavirus

Three Philippine airlines on Saturday cancelled flights to China, joining many others around the world that have done the same, after health officials confirmed the Philippines’ first case of coronavirus. A 38-year-old Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan, China, tested positive for the virus on Thursday. President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday banned the entry of Chinese arriving from Wuhan, at the centre of the epidemic, and provinces with reported cases of the disease. Carriers Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and the local unit of AirAsia Group Bhd said they were cancelling flights starting this month. “In light of developments related to the novel coronavirus, Cebu Pacific will be cancelling all flights between the Philippines and mainland China from Feb. 2 to March 29, 2020,” the airline said. The country’s largest budget carrier, which flies to Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzen, said it also reduced trips to Hong Kong and Macau. Philippine Airlines said it would cut the number of flights between Manila and Greater China by over 50%. It would continue to serve Filipinos and Chinese nationals returning from the Lunar New Year holidays.<br/>