SIA will slash schedules and ground almost all aircraft, as the coronavirus pandemic presents “the greatest challenge that the SIA Group has faced in its existence”. Due to the further tightening of border controls globally, SIA will cut 96% of scheduled capacity until end-April and ground 138 of 147 aircraft operated by SIA and regional carrier, SilkAir. Scoot will also suspend most of its network and ground all but 2 of its 49 aircraft. Singapore is also banning short-term visitors from entering or transiting through the city state, effective March 23 11:59, in an attempt to reduce the number of imported coronavirus cases. “It is unclear when the SIA Group can begin to resume normal services, given the uncertainty as to when the stringent border controls will be lifted," said the carrier. <br/>
star
United Airlines has stepped back plans to cut 95% of capacity and leave just a skeleton network in place through the coronavirus crisis, now reinstating some daily international routes to Europe, Asia and Australia, while running a few additional flights between now and the end of March to repatriate displaced travellers. The carrier says it will operate daily flights from Newark to Frankfurt, London and Tel Aviv, from Houston to Sao Paolo, and from San Francisco to Sydney and Tokyo, through the May schedule. In addition, it will send a daily flight each from Newark to Amsterdam, Munich, Brussels and Sao Paolo, from Washington-Dulles to London, and from San Francisco to Frankfurt and Seoul between now and the end of March. <br/>
Air Canada will reinstate some international connections in an effort to repatriate citizens who have become stranded overseas as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic. The carrier says it will operate 6 flights to destinations in Spain and South America to pick up travellers who have been stuck there since much of global aviation shut down in the past week. “Several hundred Canadians trapped in Peru, Ecuador and Spain since the imposition of restrictive travel measures by the authorities will finally be able to return home,” Calin Rovinescu, the carrier’s CE, said Monday. “Air Canada remains fully mobilised [in] dealing with this global health crisis and we have committed to keep operating internationally, transborder to the US and across Canada to allow people to return to Canadian soil as quickly as possible.” <br/>