Lufthansa Cuts 25% of Europe Flights Due to Coronavirus Spread
by Daniel McCarthy
Lufthansa is cutting 25% of its short- and medium-haul flights due to coronavirus. Photo: Shutterstock.com.
Lufthansa announced on Friday that it would cut its European flights by up to 25% due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The airline’s short-haul and medium-haul flights in Europe would be cut, it said, and 23 of its long-haul planes would also be grounded for the time being (the airline had already grounded 13 of its long-haul planes).
“The number of flights on short- and medium-haul routes could be reduced by up to 25%, depending on the further development of the spread of the coronavirus,” Lufthansa said in a statement.
Lufthansa joins some other European airlines, including Air France and Brussels Airlines, in cutting its European flights as the virus spread over the continent. According to Worldometer as of Feb. 29, there are currently 1,128 cases in Italy, 100 in France, 79 in German, and 50 in Spain.
Currently, the U.S. State Dept. has issued a Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory for Italy, but has not added any other coronavirus-related warnings for European countries. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is currently recommending travelers void all nonessential travel to Italy, but has not issued a warning to any other European countries.
