First major Chinese airliner suspends flights to the United States over coronavirus outbreak

China Eastern has become the first major Chinese carrier to suspend flights to and from the US because of the escalating Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Due to "the recent public health incident," China Eastern is cancelling flights from Shanghai to Los Angeles and New York from February 2 through February 10, according to a notice circulated to travel agents. Flights to the major US hubs were unavailable to book on China Eastern's website until March 29, however. China Eastern is also cancelling flights from Shanghai (PVG) to San Francisco on February 6 and February 9, to Chicago on February 8 and to Honolulu from February 3 until March 27, according to the notice. Several flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver, Canada, that originate in Chengdu or Kunming with layovers in Nanjing or Qingdao have also been canceled this week. "In the days to come, China Eastern will pay close attention to the epidemic, and may further adjust the arrangements of flights," the notice said. China's two other major carriers, Air China and China Southern, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Direct flights to the United States were still available to book on Air China and China Southern's websites on Monday.<br/>