Story ID: GPaacorona01312020
American Airlines Suspends All China Flights
By: Gregory Polek
Caption: American’s move to cancel all service to mainline China effectively settles a lawsuit brought by the Allied Pilots Association.
Word Count: 237
American Airlines has decided to cancel all flights into and out of mainland China as of Friday based on the U.S. Department of State’s recent increase of the China Travel Advisory to a Level 4 (Do Not Travel). American has scheduled its suspension to and from the Chinese mainland to last through March 27. The airline said it would continue to evaluate the schedule “for March 28 and beyond” and make any needed adjustments.

The move by American effectively settles a lawsuit brought by the Allied Pilots Association Thursday against the company in an effort to immediately halt all scheduled flights between the U.S. and mainland China. The Allied Pilot Association issued a statement Thursday citing “serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus.” American Airlines has already suspended two routes—between Los Angeles and Shanghai and Los Angeles and Beijing—from between February 9 and March 27. The union directed all crewmembers to decline any assignments between the two countries.

Before the complete suspension, American operated some 56 monthly flights between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and airports in China.  

The travel advisory likely will force Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to suspend their service to China as well. On Tuesday United canceled 24 round trips from February 1 to 8. Delta Air Lines late Wednesday slashed half its frequencies to China—from 42 to 21—from February 6 through April 30.